My SIL (wife's older sister) absolutely dislikes being 78 and turning 79 this month. Her daughters are having a birthday party for her and she sent out invitations. We got one and it stated "70 something", so I asked her about it. She told me, "I'm about the same age as Nancy" and I told her "no you're not". I also told her, "you are going to be 79 and that's 5 years older than her." She said, "no I'm not" and then said "just forget about my age." Another quite funny thing to us, but not concerning her age, was when I told her she should've been a Minister/Pastor. She said "I was" and she most definitely wasn't. She was married to a Pastor, but she was a Special Education Teacher for a career............which is definitely not a Pastor. I truly know why my wife and wife's brother don't like talking to her on the phone. I will sometimes call her and regret it afterwards.
While that's probably quite true, having been involved in a bunch of churches, the pastor's wife generally serves much like a co-pastor, in that the pastor is judged as much by his family as by his own abilities. In churches that I have been involved in, the pastor's wife would pretty much be in charge of the women's programs, teach classes, and perform other functions, and in the one case where the pastor's wife refused to participate in these things, the pastor was often criticized for it indirectly, in that people would talk about needing a pastor whose family was more involved. So I can see where a pastor's wife might feel as if she were a co-pastor. In my own relationships with sisters-in-law, I have never lived nearby so I don't know any of them really well, except for my oldest brother's wife because they come out and visit more often, have joined us at our timeshare (which used to be their timeshare), and so on. Actually, I know my second-oldest brother's wife pretty well too, I guess, because we've stayed at their house while visiting my hometown. She's very nice. My other brother's wife is very nice as well, but I haven't gotten to know her as well. I've no complaints about any of them. As for the thread title, I don't like acknowledging my age either because, besides a few limitations that I can't get past, I don't think of myself as old. Most people don't think I look as old as I am, and most of my friends and acquaintances here aren't any older than my son, although he's in his mid-50s.
Well, during the entire time her husband was a Pastor, she was teaching. My wife just told me that she really had no time to do much, to anything, involving the church her husband was a Pastor at. Personally, Ken, wife and I think that she just "thinks" she was a Pastor, but in real life, she wasn't. Actually, since she retired from teaching, and her husband/Pastor passed away, she is much more involved in church stuff than ever before.
Actually, I've seen people, both men and women, who would put a picture of themselves on Facebook and that picture would be some 20 years younger than they are.
Do you see a problem with that? On Facebook and here, for that matter, I frequently replace my profile photo with one of myself at different ages, as I come across the pictures. I'm not trying to pretend that I'm that age, considering that these have included photos of myself at the age of ten or even younger. On Facebook, these ages may be how some of the people on my Friends list remember me.
Our profile picture is from last December, not 20 years ago. Now, if I put on Facebook a picture of either of us from before we met, that's different. So or like putting on a Throwback Thursday or Flashback Friday photo of 40 or more years ago. In many online Dating sites, a person will leave their age off or put an age that is much younger than they really are. Totally deceiving to what their real age is. Basically, what I'm talking about is that the SIL really, really dislikes knowing her real age and we almost got into a quarrel with her when she stated that she was my wife's age, when, in fact, she's 5 years older. My BIL (wife's brother) got the same invite and he told me "all I could do is laugh about it".
But it's fun sometimes. Of course I wouldn't want to go sky diving, but to pretend I can still dance is usually safe although hubby said I'll hurt myself if not more careful. Now when I'm having a panic attack all bets are off with the fun stuff.
I have never had a problem with telling someone my age if they asked, although I didn’t like being offered the senior discount back when I was in my 50’s and certainly didn’t see myself as a senior at that time. Everyone is different, and if your SIL wants to avoid her age and thinks it helps and it makes her feel better; then I would do as she asks and avoid it. As far as Facebook photos go, many times I do post pictures of me at a younger age; but i am pretty sure that everyone knows it when I do that.
About ten years ago, Michelle and I went through a drive-through and the girl offered Michelle a senior discount and not me, despite the fact that I'm five years older than she is. While she generally enjoys discounts, she was not pleased with that one.
I'm 73, but as my wife tells me, "you don't act like it". Is what she is saying good or bad? Guess many men, at my age, have a whole lot of gray hair on their head, but I don't. Actually, both of us use hair coloring. My wife uses Clairol and I use Just For Men (mustache and temples). Have been doing that for years. IOW, neither of us like gray hair!
I know what you are saying about the SIL, but myself and her brother like teasing with her about not acknowledging her age and sometimes other things. That's why him and I get along so well, and my wife understands, but doesn't like us teasing her.
I usually try to apply the Golden Rule, and treat others with the care and consideration with which I like to be treated. We are all different, so what might not bother me, might bother another person a lot; and I feel that being sensitive to their needs and feelings is an important part of my integrity, as well as my Christianity.