Although the trope of the Crone is deeply embedded in our still-misogynistic society, some women of The Silent Generation are doing their best to subvert it, approaching old age with a celebratory mindset. Raised during a time when most women were financially and culturally dependent on their husbands, these women now find themselves single, capable, and ready to take on the world, arthritis and glaucoma be damned! Among those redefining old age is my grandmother.
Every year I visit her in Florida. Under sunny skies, we drink fruity sangria, swap stories and marvel at how parallel our lives are.
I have become obsessed with the way my grandmother says a big “fuck you” to mortality, ageism, and societal tropes. There is beauty and power in how she fearlessly basks in her life without worries about tomorrow. And there are moments, when I am basking in life alongside her, where time freezes, and I see this woman, this joyous, loving, hilarious, courageous warrior, for all that she is and I am overcome by the desire to capture that essence in my paintings.
