Too Pretty for Your Own Good

How can this keep happening at my age?

Mandy McElroy
Boomers, Bitches, and Babes
6 min readFeb 22, 2023

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Author’s photo

I’ve thought about writing on this topic for some time. However, I’ve seen other women try it and receive considerable negative feedback. I’ve also seen them garner support. Recently, I’ve been hit on everywhere from the grocery store, the mall, to even church, and I’m exhausted with it.

The above picture is one of me on the left, and my mom on the right at similar ages, our early twenties. Below is another one of us, except our positions are reversed. I was actually several years older than my mom in the bottom photo. The one of me, on the right, was taken four or five years ago. And I’m aware of the strong resemblance.

Author’s photo

The resemblance has a lot to do with the problems that have me exhausted and perplexed. My mom died a few years ago at ninety, with not one line on her forehead, and very few elsewhere on her lovely face. I seem to have inherited not only her features but also her near-flawless complexion. Of course, she was an old woman when she died, and I am an older, senior citizen myself! People who don’t know otherwise guess me to be fifteen or twenty years younger than I am.

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Mandy McElroy
Boomers, Bitches, and Babes

Divorced for 2 years, after leaving a 40 year marriage. An adult daughter removed herself and her children from my life due to my decision. The pain remains.