Wrinkles? I Call Them Laugh Lines

Let’s face it – when we get older we get wrinkles. Some people get more, some people get less, but the one thing we all have in common is the fact that we get them. The aging process and how we face age is a personal journey, some people fight the process and some people embrace the process. Personally, I don’t love mine but I don’t hate them either. It’s more like I’ve come to acknowledge them and respect them for what they are. I like the fact that they tell people that I have character, that I have been on a journey and that I have stories to tell. But most importantly it tells people that I’m still alive.

There is not one person amongst of us over a certain age that doesn’t have wrinkles. So let’s take a deeper look at our wrinkles and see if we can learn to love them a little more. Because the truth is, if we love our wrinkles more we will love ourselves more and we can all use more self love!

What do we know about wrinkles?

We know that wrinkles are a simple fact of life. Simply put, if we are lucky enough to age we will get wrinkles. We all should know this by now….right? I mean, I knew I was going to get wrinkles, and yet the first that I looked into the mirror and saw my Mom looking back at me, it took me by surprise. Again, I knew they would be there one day I just didn’t know it was going to be “that” day. I still remember thinking to myself “Well, they are here now so we might as well learn to get along with them”. Even today I still catch myself being surprised by my wrinkles sometimes. When I look into a mirror and this does happen I just stop and remind myself that it’s okay to be older and I love the older version of myself.

We know our skin changes with age. Our skin looses collagen and we get wrinkles….period. This is just basic knowledge in the simplest of terms. There are outside factors that along with this basic knowledge that can make a difference. We can do things to help minimize our wrinkles. I’m not talking about creams or surgery, no I’m talking about taking care of yourself from the inside out. Your skin and reap the benefit with sampling using sunscreen, eating healthy and drinking more water. You can make your skin work for every drop of moisture by smoking, drinking or living an unhealthy lifestyle. I spent the majority of my life abusing my body and skin so I’m Team Healthy these days and my skin has never looked better (it really makes a difference.

We know that society looks down on our wrinkles. Society glorifies youth and perfection, plain and simple. You see it every time you turn on the TV, go to the store or look on social media. Society praises perfection and when you have wrinkles your skin is not perfect and there goes your praise. When you really stop to think about it, it could become a helpless feeling. Thinking that you will no longer be praised because no matter how hard you try, you will never be able to get that perfection praise back. We can’t change what society thinks about us but we can decide how we think about us. We haven’t walked through the fires of life to crumble under the pressures of perfection.

We know the people try to use our wrinkles and age as an insult. Why do people think that getting old is an insult? Am I going to put most of the blame back on society? Yes I am! I haven’t met anyone who has been able to do stay forever young, but I have met a lot of people who like to tell others that they are less than perfect because they are older. I have to wonder when did age become and insult? When did the simple fact that you are not dead and getting older become a source of ridicule and who is the jerk that came up with the first insult? Do you think that people who were traveling across the plains in a covered wagon told each other that they were less than perfect? Did they all call each old and try to make the other person feel like a burden? I don’t think they did. I think they were happy to still be alive and worked together to stay that way. I think this is modern day problem made worse with technology.

So what can we do about this? We can’t turn back time and (and why would we) so we need to change how we look at ourselves. Let me repeat that last part just incase you didn’t hear it……we need to change how we look at ourselves. We need to love ourselves and all our wrinkles. Because I have to tell you, once you start believing what society is selling, you will start the mindset of thinking that you are old and we cannot allow that to happen. With that first wrinkle we start the slippery slope of ageism. With ageism you are suddenly too old for Dr. Martens. With ageism you might as well forget about getting that new tattoo. With ageism you might a well throw everything out of your closest that isn’t beige, because color is not allowed when you are old. Ageism will have you believing that there’s no way you can still be cool and have wrinkles. Ageism will take your identity away from you and everything that it represents. Everything about ageism is wrong! You can have age and a new tattoo, you can have wisdom and a fierce style. You can have gray hair and wrinkles and you can do anything you put your mind too. It is up to you whether or not you to go against society and what society is telling you. Our wrinkles and our age does not stop us from living the best life. We are the only ones who can stop us from living the best life regardless of age. I know it is easier to blame society but the truth is, it all comes down to us and whether of not we want to fade away.

Fade away, the thought of fading away terrifies me. I don’t want to fade away, I don’t want to be forgettable or washed out. I’m not afraid of aging, I’m afraid of fading away. I can’t stop age, but I can stay true to myself at any age. I can be the same outspoken person that I was in my 20’s, I can rock a style that I was too insecure to wear when I was younger. I can have as many tattoos as I want that I could barely afford when I started that journey. I can be a voice on social media at 57 that I never could have been at 27. Fade away? No, I’m shining brighter than ever

So this post is for anyone who is struggling with their wrinkles now or the thoughts of wrinkles in the future. Age is not an insult and not to be feared. We are not fading away and nothing is stopping us, but us. I truly hope this helps you embrace your wrinkles and embrace yourself.

Lonni