“Should I be using eye cream?” I asked a friend recently, realizing that it might be time.
She shrugged, “I guess so? I need to find one. I’m getting crow’s feet already!”
Small Signs of Aging
The signs of aging are still subtle on my mid-thirties body, but they’re there. There are small, wispy gray hairs around my temples. The crease between my eyebrows no longer jumps back to “smooth” once I’ve furrowed my brow. It sort of lingers, never fully going back as it should. If I could snap my fingers and reverse all of these things, I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t.
A dear friend and I were discussing this odd phenomenon, how our faces are looking just slightly more worn, with a few more creases than they once had. Neither of us wants to be bothered by it, but of course, we are.
Then, I thought of my dear friend. She died young from a long, off-and-on journey with various cancers. She had an army of friends and family praying desperately that she would live, but she didn’t. Her life was very full and meaningful. But she never married or had the privilege of becoming a mom, as she’d wanted to.
Some Perspective
Suddenly, aging takes on a different meaning. The gray wisps on the my temples and the fine lines around my eyes don’t seem like nuisances any more. They’re from nights of tossing and turning, worrying about one child’s education or another’s eating habits.
The strange shape my stomach makes when I turn on my side is because of the 3 babies I was blessed to carry. The fine lines around my eyes are from watching the sun set over the mountains, squinting to monitor my little ones on bikes just down the street or reading bedtime stories in dim lighting while tiny people snuggle in my lap.
The little creases around my mouth are from lots of laughter—from my husband’s witty comments, my toddler’s performance of the “freeze” dance, the story of a friend’s most embarrassing moment or watching “The One with the Bagpipes” a few too many times (and laughing hysterically, which I do every single time).
About that Eye Cream
We live in a culture that tells us we must do everything in our power to reverse every piece of evidence that our bodies might show of aging. And while I still may invest in a jar of eye cream, I’m ok if I don’t look 25 forever. I live a blessed life, and I’m ok with people knowing it.
Thanks for this Danielle! We all struggle and are our own worst critics.
I am blessed by your friendship, my young friend. Your wisdom belies your age😘.