I am Petra. I am 66, and I have a husband, son, and daughter whom I love very much.
My family and I have lived in the South of France for 20 years, since 1996. While living there, I worked in tourism. After 20 years, my roots started calling for me to come back, so we moved back. We now live in Belgium (near Maastricht) and enjoy country life.
I don’t find aging very easy and sometimes a confrontational process. The emphasis shifts from your outer self to your inner self; I sometimes ask myself, “who am I when nobody glances at me anymore.” This is not a negative development; I try to make the best of it in my own way.
Fashion is important to me. I love how Fashion is playful and versatile. I like to dress for any occasion, change my looks, and make a personal fashion statement. I try to dress in a way that I feel confident. I like all kinds of looks, so tomorrow is another day, and I will wear another look! I think I dress more for myself now, while when I was young(er), I dressed more for other people.
My most outstanding achievement, of course, as I have read from other “Bloomers,” is my 2 lovely children. My daughter is 28, and my son is 30. They live abroad, but we try to see each other as much as possible in real life and online. We have an excellent bond; they have become lovely adults with a good view of life, and we laugh a lot!
My greatest regret is that I did not have the same confidence when I was young. So I would tweet to my younger self, “you can do anything you set your mind to! In case of doubt, just do it, do not be afraid to fail and if so, try another way!”
I am 66, but I do not feel old at all. If there was no mirror, I would still be 35, and always will be. At 65, I started a new job as a hostess in a museum brasserie; I work primarily with young people, and being active keeps me youthful in mind, spirit, and body!
