Wrinkle creams, eye masks, hair dye… there are so many products out there to make you look younger as your body changes with age. As I move into my later thirties, more of my friends have begun coloring their hair or doing other things to make themselves look younger, which, if it makes them feel better about themselves, I understand it. However, I’ve decided to go another way.
I’ve had a number of health problems, starting when I was a child. When my husband and I got married, my mom commented that, at one point, she wasn’t sure if she would ever get to see me get married. I’ve enjoyed fairly good health in adulthood, but still acknowledge that if I had lived in a different part of the world (or a place without advanced medical facilities) I might not have lived into adulthood. This gave me a glimpse of perspective that I should appreciate the days that I have.
So, as the grey hairs start to come in, I will view them as a badge of honor. I have been given the opportunity to live long enough to get grey hairs. Not everyone has been lucky enough to reach this point.
As the wrinkles slowly form around my eyes, I’ll remember the good times I’ve had and the experiences I’ve lived though that have helped me to become the person that I am today.
The signs of aging that come show that I’ve learned, and grown from my trips around the sun. I’m blessed to have lived long enough to become an adult, marry someone I love, and have children of our own.
This doesn’t mean that I can’t do things to make myself feel good about how I look, but I’m not going to fret about the signs of aging as they slowly appear. I’m going to focus on viewing them as a sign that I have lasted long enough to earn those signs of aging and be grateful for the chance to live this long. As Rob Thomas says in his song, “I’m not afraid of getting older. I’m one less day from dying young.”
