Mirror, Mirror…

I don’t spend a lot of time in the mirror. I rarely wear make-up, my hair is easy to manage since it is long enough to put in a pony tail, and brushing my teeth is like a little tooth and gum massage so I tend to close my eyes and enjoy the process. About the only thing I need to look in the mirror for is to put my contacts in.

The other day, after putting my second contact in, I made eye contact with myself. I know you would think this is just part of putting contacts in but, for me, its not. I usually put them in and am off and running. My focus isn’t the eye, its the contact.

Anyway, my image caught my eye. I haven’t really paid much attention over the years to any mark the passing of time is bound to have left. Age isn’t a big deal for me (most of the time. i have moments). This time was different though.

After holding my stare for a moment or two, I surveyed my face. There are the beginnings of crow’s feet at the corners of my eyes, some light wrinkling along the sides of my face where my cheeks push back when I smile. *Sigh*

I always said I would age gracefully, that the addition of some wrinkles wouldn’t cause me to wish for younger days, that gray hair would be worn like a badge of honor. The thoughts we have when we are young.

The gray hair thing I gave up many years ago since I actually had my first gray hairs before I was 19 years old. By the time I was 20, I had gray hairs throughout my head. Coloring came soon after that.

This wasn’t the first time I had noticed the start of crow’s feet, though they were much smaller before. Its not that they are huge or anything like that. I’d say the crow’s feet are still comfortably in the small zone but more noticeable than they used to be. (well, to me at least)

The wrinkles on the sides of my face are ones I don’t remember seeing before. I have to admit I had never considered having wrinkles there. I honestly don’t think I have ever noticed them there on anyone else. Maybe I never noticed them on others before because I felt so far removed from ever having wrinkles that I just skipped making note of them in any way.

There are also some wrinkles running from the sides of my nose, from about the bridge area heading out toward my cheeks. These ones are hardly noticeable at all. This is another area that I had never considered for wrinkles.

I’ll admit that at first, it caused me to be a little said. My brain still believes it is a youngster, complete with an invincibility cape firmly in place, despite any aching and complaining my body might do. I’m not saying 43 is old, its just not as young as I used to be, once upon a time.

On the up-side, the wrinkles that are beginning to line my face are ones etched by laughter and smiling. I have always believed that you could tell a lot about an older person’s life by the lines that had adorned their face. Personally, if I had to have wrinkles, ones earned from laughing and smiling would be the best ones to have, in my book. I’m prone to quick smiles and laughing is my favorite thing to do.

So, to the wrinkles beginning to appear on my face, I say welcome. Thank you for reminding me that I have spent a lot of time laughing and a lot of time smiling. See? Wrinkles aren’t all bad. 😉

 

(Photo credit: http://www.blogher.com/files/wrinkles.jpg )