No Botox For Me

Today I am feeling old-ish. But not in bad way. In an “Oh, isn’t this interesting how the years have completely flown” kind of way.

I had a friend come over this afternoon to give me samples of some skin care products that she’s selling. She’s in her mid-40’s and as cute as a button. She has 6 kids and a few grandchildren, yet doesn’t look a day over 30. So, I’m thinking, I’ll use whatever she’s using! She showed me all kinds of lotions and potions containing things like nanospheres and peptides and apha lipoic acid and explained how important they are to the skin for anti-aging. Who knew?? My grandmother used only Noxema and Nivea cream, and she had gorgeous skin until the day she died. (And a two-pack-a-day smoking habit. But I would not recommend that.) Nevertheless, my friend and I talked and I agreed to try the products, because at this point, Good God, I would spring for uranium if someone promised me it would make my skin look younger!

But as we discussed the anti-aging elements, I had a memory. I remembered reading beauty magazines as a teenager, and looking forward to the day when I would have laugh lines. Back then, I always thought women in their 40’s were more attractive than women in their 20’s because their faces were more defined, and they carried themselves with a sophistication and confidence unknown to youth. And I thought laugh lines were beautiful, because it showed a life lived with joy. My mother had no laugh lines, and she was an unhappy person with a flat affect. I did not want to be like her. So, in my innocent, 16-year-old pea brain, I actually longed for a future with laugh lines.

Flash forward a number of years. I am now in my early 40's. And have laugh lines. And I ain’t laughing about them. In fact, I’d love to turn back the clock to the when I was 16 and had flawless skin.

But today as I was driving my kids to the library, I studied my laugh lines in the rear view mirror. (And almost rear-ended the car in front of me. So I stopped obsessing, for safety’s sake.) And I thought of my 16-year-old Self, and that piece of wisdom that she possessed about wrinkles. And I thought, she had it right. Every little wrinkle on my face was earned, by God! I am a passionate person with an expressive face, and every line displays a full, rich life well lived. Lots of laughter over the years. Many intense, amazing experiences. All mine.

So I’m going to be okay with my wrinkles from now on. Let the good times roll! Although I will still try out my friend’s skin care line……….