Aging into Beauty

Last week as I was driving along, I reached back to help Bella with her water bottle and caught a glimpse of my reflection in the rearview mirror. 

As much as I’d love to say that I am perfectly content with the aging process, I’ll admit that I do spend time and energy preserving my youth. But in this moment, my instant reaction to my reflection was that of acceptance. Actually, it was even better than that. A voice inside me said, “So that’s what beauty looks like at 40.”

Not only was it a moment of complete acceptance of where I exist on the span of life, but it was a moment of transcendence; where all doctrines of beauty disappeared, enabling me to see my sweet little wrinkles as my current expression of beauty now.

Imagine if we all lived each day in that state of acceptance of our own unique expression of beauty. Imagine shifting your relationship to your bulging muffin top or graying hair from one of repugnance to one of celebration? I can hear you exhaling deeply.

Back when Blair was a boy, society saw moles as a sign of beauty. Women who had moles on their face would accentuate them with eyeliner. If the definitions of beauty continue to change according to most recent trends, why can’t we start a beauty trend that accentuates all of the areas we try so damn hard to conceal or improve?
 
As a mom of two, stepping into my forties this fall, I am newly committed to embracing the evidence of my age by creating a new ‘beauty’ paradigm that celebrates my sparkle and fascination for life.

You wanna come along?

Jenny