“Are you their Grandma?” the preschooler asked as she pointed toward my two grandkids playing nearby.
“Yes,” I replied.
Staring intently at my face, she observed, “My Grandma looks just like you.”
“Really?” I responded, anticipating I’d hear something about her being really old.
“Yeah. Except for she has black hair.”
I chuckled at the image of her Clairol-girl grandma covering the gray. I, on the other hand, have never once colored my strawberry blonde hair. The other woman, I concluded, was no doubt much older than I.
“She has lines on her face too. She has them there and there and there, just like you,” she went on, tracing the lines on my forehead, chin, and neck with her little fingers.
“Yes,” I said. “Grandmas sometimes have lines on their faces.”
“My grandma has them because she didn’t use sunscreen when she was little.”
Sigh.
I’ve used that same explanation for years. I tell others whose skin seems less crinkled than mine that I sunburned early and often. While true, I also know my face is a roadmap of my life story. My forehead says I’ve frowned way too much of my life away. The lines around my mouth say I’ve laughed equally as often. My eyes have smile lines and sad creases at the same time.
Like many of my Boomer friends, I am trying to understand and embrace the changes aging brings to my appearance. Curiously, in the midst of sags and bags, my spirit and soul feel as young as ever. And while I’d love to have my daughter’s skin — fresh, vibrant, and smooth—I know I’ve earned each and every crease. I am grateful for long life, a breadth of experiences, many things to enjoy, numerous reasons to laugh, and also the sorrows I’ve known along the way. Hopefully, the folds and pleats on my 64-year-old face reflect experience and wisdom–and perhaps a bit of kindness and joy as well.
Naturally, we can’t significantly change the marks of time and expression, but we can accept them with gratitude.
We have so much for which to be thankful, including the sunshine that warms our face. But, as the little girl on the playground reminded me, we probably should have used more sunscreen.
written by Leona Bergstrom, Director, Re-Ignite
Copyright 2016 Re-Ignite
Photo courtesy of CanStock
