Beauty Is In The Eyes Of Me

There are so many beauty products out there, both for men and women, that tell the consumers that wrinkles are ugly, that gray or white hair is not attractive, stretch marks make you undesirable, and so on.  But who are these people to tell me that I need to hide these changes that time has etched into my body?  Why do I have to be ashamed at the passage of time? 

While I understand wanting to keep your body looking attractive for yourself and others, but why can't the wrinkles, the gray hair, the stretch marks be beautiful too?  They tell a story about your life, how you've grown and changed.  I have started develop white hair in place of my natural dark brown locks and wrinkles have started to become more noticeable around my eyes and my forehead.  The white hair speaks of how I survived childhood (which is still a tough feat, even today).  My wrinkles speak of how often I have laughed, smiled, and cried.  Even the scars on my body tell the story of what I have survived and recovered from. 

So while those companies continue to pedal $100 face creams that say that they will get rid of all the wrinkles and give you baby smooth skin, I will continue to live life.  I will spend time with friends, eat new foods, try new things.  I will not spend money on a temporary beauty fix when I can appreciate the new beauty that I have been given and continue to create new tales to tell.

(Picture found: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/148267012704637278/)