What I See In The Mirror

I see a healthy woman who is pretty happy with herself. Perhaps I need to put on a little moisturiser some mornings, but I’m turning 60 this year and I think I’m doing pretty well.

I believe that your face reflects your life experience, and right now I’m the happiest I’ve ever been. I’m healthy, I’ve got a husband I’m very much in love with and things are going well. I’ve come through a lot in my life; I’ve weathered the storm and come out the other side.

When I look in the mirror today, I tend to see the things that are right, but 30 years ago, when I was filming Grease, all I could see were the things that were wrong. I did a screen test because I was worried I wouldn’t look young enough for the role, but with hindsight I think, “What was I worrying about?”

When you’re young, you’re nervous and paranoid, but as you age your perspective totally changes. Everything is relative.

Being diagnosed with breast cancer in 1992 changed my perspective for ever. I had a radical modified mastectomy, which was a very emotional thing to go through, but physically it wasn’t such a big thing for me. A lot of women get freaked out when they lose a breast or go through surgery because it impacts so much on who they are, but I always say you are not the sum of your breasts. You are a whole person. It may be part of our body, but it’s not who we are.

I’m grateful for my health and I feel happy about myself: as long as that’s the case and my husband is happy with me, then everything’s cool.

Olivia Newton-John And Friends: A Celebration In Song is out on EMI.

Original article