Even though it becomes difficult at times, a 50-year-old mom has to go through it every day as she appears to be her daughter’s sister. For the same, she needs to prove her identity everywhere she goes.
Rajan Gill, a mom from Coventry, tells her hassle when she goes to buy alcohol and needs to carry her driving license as proof, despite being 50 years old. And not just the cashiers alone, but also the strangers assume her to be the sister of two girls, who are actually her daughters, Jasmine, 19, and Neelam, 25. The reason is that she looks three decades younger than her age.
Being a mom of three and a makeup artist, she apprises how flattering it is to get the attention of the strangers, although it can be a little embarrassing for her daughters. Rajan says, “The girls are often embarrassed when someone asks if I am their sister but I think it is a massive compliment. They are like, ‘here we go again’ – but we do have a chuckle about it. I always feel flattered that people think I am the same age as them.”
However, this confusion isn’t just a thing for strangers in real life only, but also to the people on Instagram, who often tell her that they cannot believe she is a mother of two grown-up girls. There was an instance when she had to show her identity proof while buying spray paint for a radiator, and surprisingly, you just need to be just over 16 years for that. Rajan, too, finds it strange that she has to carry her ID even if she needs to go out for errands.
Albeit it’s a compliment, it doesn’t feel like that at several times. “I think there is a huge pressure on the younger generation to look older than their age. Social media plays a big part in role models having fillers or wearing a lot of makeup which is why it can be confusing for cashiers,” Rajan said. On the contrary, she doesn’t feel like she’s 50 years older, but it’s the proclivity in the society that shows not wearing makeup and certain dresses as a sign of an older woman. She is never bothered about the same and loves to do whatever brings the ecstasy.
Also, Rajan believes that she is gifted with good genes. Despite maintaining a healthy lifestyle, avoiding the junks, and implementing a proper skin-care routine, there is nothing as such which is specifically improving her looks. She has never used Botox as well. And the reason she’s free of wrinkles is that she avoids sunbathing. Going into the pool and enjoying is pretty different but Rajan never prefers lying under the sun for a long time.
Rajan said: “I will sit in the shade as the sun can age you. I swear by-products that help your skin too, such as Bare Minerals, as it doesn’t clog up your pores.” Plus, her husband Harpreet is almost 10 years younger but it still isn’t a problem because he looks older than her. She was refraining to date a younger man in the beginning, but since people assume her to be younger, she doesn’t see it as misery.
