When I look directly into the mirror lately, I am startled by the person staring back at me. She looks familiar but nothing like the me I remember. She’s wrinkled, lined and sagging. When the heck did that happen?
I watch newscasters and celebrities much older, or at least a little older than myself, suddenly appear after a month or so hiatus looking fabulous if not a bit tight around the lips and eyes, and I say, “Good facelift.” My husband doesn’t notice them, but after I had repeated that line dozens of times he finally asked me, “Do you want a facelift too?”
Hmm – I had to think at least a few minutes about it. “Too expensive, too risky, too painful. No.” If I never really cared about looks before, why would I start to care now? I tossed the suit jackets and the makeup the day after retirement.
After all, every wrinkle, every line has been an adventure.
Wrinkles = lifetime adventures
I can count several lines appearing after hiking part of Angel’s Landing in Zion National Park, and several more while clinging to the canyon wall on Bright Angel Trail at the Grand Canyon.
Startling a rattlesnake at our campsite, gasping in the passenger seat while my husband drives the motorhome on the edge of a mountain, the too-close buffalo that turned to look at us eye-to-eye at Theodore Roosevelt National Park, all could share responsibility.
Who knows what damage the Arizona sun causes, even with sunscreen, as I sit contentedly watching yet another amazing pink and orange-streaked sunset across the desert.
Walking the trails to the ruins of native peoples from thousands of years ago, climbing a mountain to see petroglyphs, traversing the lava fields of past volcanos, being able to see an entire giant mammoth skeleton, camping by still waters with no one else around, camping by the ocean, actually living in an RV and getting to camp every day… it has all been a worthwhile adventure.
Every wrinkle and every line is an adventure. The adventure of a lifetime.
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I had no gray hairs until I taught 3 teenagers to drive- manual transmission, of course.
There’s nothing wrong with wrinkles. As I read somewhere – at least they don’t hurt.
Sure, just look how great Cher looks. Or Dolly Parton. Or Kenny Rogers just before died. They look terrible! agree with the others here. I’m enjoying my uh, mature look.
I would add scars to this: I sure have enough of them.
All wrinkles, scratches, scars present and accounted for. Still have most of my hair and still brown can’t say that for facial hair as it’s gray. But I agree it’s all about all miles traveled and having children as they are part of the travel.
Those are not wrinkles, they are experience lines. When you see someone without experience lines you simply wish them well as they experience life’s great adventures. Not everyone gets to experience this, revel in your experiences. Enjoy that God allowed you to experience your life. The Bible says we will have 3 score and 10 for life, that’s 70 years, I will be 80 very shortly and I thank God for these bonus years every day.
AMEN Bob, I’m 76 blessed with good health, & enjoying every minute the good Lord gives me extra!!! Have a blessed day!!
Cherish the moments and the results there of! Every gray hair, every line is a “sentiment ” of the life I’ve been blessed to lead. A face lift would be like erasing a memory…
My mirror tells me I’ve had a lot of experience(s)! My hair keeps singing – “Please Help Me I am Falling….”. But coming up on 87…. well no facelift or hair transplants for me. I even had my last colonoscopy last year!!!
The continued mobility to get more wrinkles, more scars and thinning hair is what I cherish.
I look the same as I always have. I don’t believe that funhouse mirror in my bathroom.