A quick Google search of the word wrinkles produces results such as "23 Ways to Reduce Wrinkles," "Wrinkles: Facts on Treatment and Cosmetic Procedures," and "6 Everyday Habits That Are Giving You More Wrinkles-Prevention." That, alone, says a great deal about the way society views wrinkles. Take another few minutes watching infomercials and flipping through magazines, and you may feel as though wrinkles are the ultimate beauty detriment.
I know people who have been putting on anti-wrinkle creams since they were teenagers. I also know others who are more afraid of getting wrinkles from sun exposure than are afraid of getting skin cancer. Here's the thing: I don't think we need to live our lives in fear of wrinkles or of looking older because of them. Guess what? Wrinkles are a sign of getting older and that doesn't have to be a negative thing. Wrinkles are also a sign you have lived. Oftentimes, I consider them the lines of life upon someone's skin.
There's a certain kind of beauty in the sign that you have lived. From smile lines to forehead crinkles, they all tell a story. What a sad thought that we would want to erase the sign of our stories, the sign that we have experienced life.
I'm not suggesting we all forego our sunscreen, run into tanning booths, and start smoking cigarettes. I'm just suggesting we don't need to freeze our faces with Botox or try all 23 ideas to eliminate our wrinkles. When I look at somebody older without them, I am so distracted by the unnatural appearance that I cannot value what is supposed to be the more youthful face. However, when I see my Nana smile or the 102 year old sitting in front of me at church, I feel that appreciation. They have laughed, cried, travelled, suffered, rejoiced, loved, and experienced.
If you'd like to put on your anti-aging cream, or find a better makeup to cover your wrinkles, by all means do so. When the time comes and your wrinkles show through anyway, I hope you can look at them and appreciate the story they tell. While youth is beautiful, so is the sign of a life lived.
