While in a waiting room recently, I saw a promotional program on the television about a man who had surgery on his head. The former patient boasted that the doctor went into the wrinkle on his forehead, and he didn’t have a scar because of it. The gears started moving in my head, and this post was born.

I notice them, sure. I haven’t let it bother me, although I’m not thrilled with the turkey neck I’m beginning to get. 🙂 I wash and tone my face and slather on serums, moisturizers, and eye and neck creams. I research and try to find things that are good for my skin that’ll help me stretch out my youth just a little bit longer, please! Haha! I take collagen because our bodies produce less of it as we age, and taking the supplement makes my skin look plumper (and helps your hair, nails, joints, and bones). Since taking collagen, I’ve noticed the most difference with my hands. I buy mine at iherb.com. I am not affiliated with them in any way; just sharing which one I take.

It didn’t dawn on me until I saw the Geisinger ad with the man showing his deep forehead wrinkle to think about what it means to have wrinkles. The man lived thousands of days, saw things, created memories, and built his character through living life. Each wrinkle on his face represents a life well-lived: laugh wrinkles outside his eyes, frustration wrinkles between his eyebrows, joyful wrinkles around his lips from smiling a lot, and other wrinkles that developed slowly over time to express the life he lived. A unique life different than any other life, and his wrinkles tell his story.

We can let the fact we’re aging wallop us hard and make us want to do things to keep us looking as young as we can (which is okay) to show the world what’s on the outside is not quite what’s on the inside. I have seen snippets of the Real Housewives (RHONJ or RHOBH) shows, and the women look fabulous! They have gotten work done, and for most of them, the work is flawless; others – eh- they don’t look like the same person. You know what I mean. God rest her soul Joan Rivers was a beautiful woman who went under the knife and came out looking different. When she was on the Fashion Police show, her face barely moved when she spoke. It was strange. I know she joked about it and appeared confident, but I wonder if anyone close to her told her she changed her original face?

The point is we live in bodies that age. Period. We can choose to see our reflections as flawed or beautiful/handsome.  Our perception of who we are is everything. If we look in the mirror and get disgusted or do not feel anything at all, just there to view the clothes we wear, we are doing a disservice to ourselves. We are who we are. I know that sounds trippy, but we are our skin, scars, bumps, bulges, sags, discolors, whatever. If we don’t embrace it, how can anyone else?

I’m going to try to age gracefully, and if the wrinkles come, the wrinkles come. I’m okay with it. Maybe I might change my mind in fifteen years when I feel younger inside than I do on the outside and want to make a little tweak (don’t tell anyone). That’s perfectly fine too.

We get one go around this life. Why not make every single day your day? Embrace what God gave you, and be grateful for everything. The “loves” as much as the “love nots” – be grateful for it all.

Thank you for reading.

To a splendid life full of love, happiness, and pain-free days,

Francesca