2024 52 Card Project: Week 36: Crone

[pegkerr]

I had my yearly physical with my doctor last week. We went over the annoyance of my asthma and discussed changes to my medication. (More money. Groan). We discussed lipid levels, vaccinations, exercise and mental health. And she remarked, "Oh, I wasn't going to do a Pap smear, because technically you're not due for one. But the guidelines don't recommend the test for women after sixty-five--nor will insurers pay for it--and considering your upcoming birthday next spring, we probably need to do one after all."

It took a moment for the significance to sink in. "You mean...this is my last Pap smear?"

She smiled. "Yes. This is your last Pap smear."

"My goodness. We should have confetti. Or balloons."

This time she laughed. "Yes, we should!"

So I got up on the table, and she did the exam in her usual courteous and comforting way. I gave her a high five when we were done.

Wow. My last Pap smear.

It does seem like such a milestone. Our culture talks about menarche, and new motherhood, and menopause. But it hadn't occurred to me that there would be one more significant marker to signal that, well, my reproductive life is effectively over.

I have really entered the crone years.

I thought about that this week. In general, I don't believe that I am afraid of aging. It helps that my mother has aged so gracefully and so well. I'm not bothered by wrinkles or gray hair (an easy thing to say because I seem to be graying later than many of my peers). Well, okay, I'm less blasé about the extra moles I seem to be accumulating as I get older, but that's a minor detail.

I talked today with a friend (in her eighties) about the gifts that aging brings. You can be calmer, and more self-confident. Things don't seem to be so do-or-die dramatic. You can roll more easily with the punches. Your time is more your own.

Hopefully, this stage will bring wisdom.

I took a picture of myself and prematurely aged it to make this collage.

Image description: lower left corner: a doctor's examination table with the stirrups extended for a Pap smear. A raven perches on the head of the table. Lower right corner: a bunch of brightly covered balloons. Upper right corner: an old woman with her head propped on her head smiles (Peg, aged a couple of decades in advance). Upper left corner: a pair of aged, cupped hands hold a piece of paper with the word 'Wisdom." Just below the cupped hands, set at an angle, are the Maiden/Mother/Crone symbols (waxing moon, full moon, waning moon).

Crone



Click on the links to see the 2024, 2023, 2022 and 2021 52 Card Project galleries.

Comments

[pameladean]

That is a stupendous card.

I particularly love the raven at the head of the horrible exam table. That is genius.

P.

[pegkerr]

Thanks! I spent a bit more time than usual fussing with it, adding elements, and I’m quite proud of it. I looked for pictures of ‘old wise woman’ or ‘crone,’ but none of them seemed quite right. And then I had the idea of using my own photo and aging it.

Which was quite clever, if I do say so myself.

[ndrosen]

Good for you, and I did like the image.

[pegkerr]

And that is the actual exam table, by the way, rather than a stock photo. I flipped the stirrups back out and took a picture of it before I left the room.

[princessofgeeks]

*fistbump of crone-dom*

[aome]

Wow, I didn't realize there was an age ceiling for those things! Whoo hoo - you're done!