Why do women become invisible as they grow older?

At the Vietnamese Women’s Museum in Hanoi, Vietnam, there is an incredibly beautiful and touching photo exhibition called “Ageless Beauty” by the talented French photographer Réhahn now living in Vietnam (if you want to read more about my visit to the museum check out my blog post).

It’s so refreshing to see pictures of older women, capturing their beauty and experience that Réhahn believes always ends up “being written on the face.”

“As a photographer, my own perception of beauty has evolved. The only thing that stays beautiful is something that touches my heart,”

- Réhahn

My yoga teacher told her students that it’s our bodies that are time sensitive and wrinkle with age. Our spirits are always young and vibrant, ageless.

Since becoming an older woman (where does the time go you will only realize as you get older!) and now having to be in the dating game in my 50’s after a long 20 year absence, I agree with women who say that women are “invisible” as they become older.

People and in particular men don’t pay attention to older women, they ignore us and it’s almost like we are invisible and they can’t see us. The focus is on the pretty young 20 somethings.

However, that attention on the young and being young is from women as well.

We are sometimes our own worst critics, wishing we were prettier, thinner, and younger. I have a have a long list of what I’d like to improve about myself!

What if am good enough as I am? What if I were to love myself for who I am rather than who I’d like to be?

What if I believed this and didn’t need to be validated by others, in particular men?

What if I came into my power, wisdom and beauty that has always been there and has only been invisible to me?

Originally published at Caroline Ishii.