Frances McDormand won Best Actress last night at the Academy Awards and I am thrilled.

She’s my age, sixty. And ever since 1996 when I saw her in “Fargo,” I’ve admired and respected her. She represents everything admirable about aging: strength, power, uniqueness, courage, self-respect, accomplishment, grace and dignity. She embraces getting older rather than dreading it and constantly trying to “look younger.” I’ve read this in numerous online articles about her.

Those are all aging attributes I value. I’ve always secretly thought that women who agonize over getting older are actually speeding the aging process, making it worse. All that fretting, worrying and scurrying about to find this or that potion/cream to make them look younger – doesn’t that in and of itself take a toll on your well-being? I certainly don’t want to beat myself up about getting older, because I’m fairly sure aging just happens. I think it’s the natural evolution of things.  So I just adjust and adapt to the myriad of changes. Turning back the clock is not an option, so why fight it?

I prefer a more positive approach. I choose to age gracefully, with wrinkles, sags, bags and crinkled skin. I aim to be the best version of Kim Galeaz at sixty. Besides, I have far more pressing issues to fret over, like the next stage of my business, when the painting will be finished in our now 9-month-old new home and when I’ll be able to see grandsons Elijah, Liam and Jackson again.

Two other women make my list of Aging Icons.

 

• Caroline Kennedy. She’s just one week and three days older than me. I couldn’t avoid watching her grow up. What a famous, yet tragic life. I admire her tenacity, strength, accomplishments, contributions, grace and dignity.
• Caroline, Princess of Hanover. She just turned 61 in January. I remember hearing about her as I was growing up, since she’s the oldest daughter of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier of Monaco. She exemplifies grace and dignity as well, especially in the face of personal tragedy (losing her second husband in a boating accident.)

Thanks to all three of these accomplished, aging women.