Took this last week as I hopped in the car to go to work.
Dear Wrinkles,
That’s it. I’ve had it.
I’m tired of looking in the mirror, seeing you, Wrinkles, and not liking you very much.
Wrinkles, you and I have been at war with one another for a while now.
As you know, at 52, I refuse to get Botox, so I do what I can to help keep my skin fresh. I wash my face with gentle soap; I use a ton of moisturizer and under eye cream (helps keep the skin moist and hydrated); I try to drink a lot of water; and I get facials when I can. I wear concealer and foundation with SPF every day, and I love to use highlight cream on my face as well.
Honestly, Wrinkles, if it sounds like I’m doing what I can to prevent you from appearing, believe me, I am.
However, you, gravity, and aging seem to have other plans in mind.
“See this face?” I said to my daughter. “It’s going to age gracefully, so what we get we get.” She laughed and found that funny. I wasn’t meaning to be funny; I was just stating the facts.
And then, Wrinkles, I thought about a viral video I saw recently with a gray, long-haired woman who had become a model in her 50s. She refuses to color her hair. She also said that every wrinkle she has on her face she has earned and worked hard for. She’s a beautiful woman, if not by magazine cover standards where everyone is super thin and youthful and lacking gray hair and wrinkles, then what is beautiful to most of us other regular folks whose faces do not dwell on magazine covers.
In other words, Wrinkles, she inspired me.
And so now I have a new approach. A new perspective, if you will. And you won’t like it, Wrinkles.
I’ve worked super hard over the course of my 52 years. I’ve had stressful jobs (even though they were fun, they were not without their stresses); I’ve birthed two kids (neither one a walk in the park); I’ve dealt with some personal issues and come out better for them; I’ve written three books and textbook, each one taking a little bit of me; and most importantly of all, I’ve taken care of my family and continue to do so.
So you see, Wrinkles, like that model, I’m now looking at you as mini trophies.
I’ve earned all of you, each and every one.
And so now, it’s game on, Wrinkles. I’ll still work hard to keep you at bay the best that I can, but when you appear, I’ll link each one to some wonderful aspect of the life I have lived and continue to live.
Thanks for the memories.
Filed under: On Life Tagged: accepting your wrinkles, aging, coping with wrinkles, dealing with wrinkles, every wrinkle I have earned, face, life, living, wrinkles
