Wrinkles and Crinkles and Laugh lines, Oh My!
last night, I had the television on in the background while I did some work and ended up watching a few minutes of an informercial for one of those “facelift in a jar” kind of products. The “doctor” who was leading the commercial threw around a lot of the usual skin care connected adjectives like: smooth, young, tight and fresh, but there was one thing he said that really confused me. At one point, Dr.Facelift said,
“Skin that has repeated the same action over and over, like smiling, causes muscles to contract and create wrinkles.”
I’m confused, because I thought smiling was a GOOD thing. Why would I want to hide evidence of being happy? Our faces tell our stories and I refuse to be ashamed of that. I have experienced MANY, MANY things up to this point and each of my experiences have affected how I think and how I feel, why shouldn’t they affect how I look as well? And why should that be a bad thing?
Every line in my face reflects that I’ve lived, loved, lost and learned and I’m okay with that.
I miss a lot of things about my mother who lost her battle with Cancer when she was only 56 years old. One of the things I miss is the way she looked when she smiled. When she smiled, her whole face smiled and as strange as this may sound, I remember the lines around her eyes and how warmly and lovingly they seemed to frame them. Is it weird that I WANT my laugh lines? Is it bizarre that I’m proud of every crease and crinkle I earn as I live each day?
Thanks, but no thanks, facelift in a jar, go peddle your ageism elsewhere, I’m just not interested.
on March 4, 2013 on 3:18 am
So true, Marci. We should wear our wrinkles proudly. I’d give anything to feel my mom’s softly wrinkled cheek against mine.
on March 4, 2013 on 3:24 am
Yup. I think we forget about what’s really important until we lose it and then need to remind ourselves to appreciate what we still have everyday.
)
on March 5, 2013 on 1:37 am
Oh, wow Marci. You look just like your mom! I thought you were twins at first. I lost my mom two month’s ago and I would never have wanted the twinkle of her eyes and vibrant smile to be paved over. What’s wrong with our culture?
on March 5, 2013 on 1:40 am
What IS wrong with our culture?? It’s so sad.
I am so sorry about your mom, I really do know what you’re going through. My mom was a single parent and I was pregnant with my first son when I lost her, so I never got to BE a parent WITH a parent..I still miss her terribly. I talk to my kids about her (and my brother) all the time and they feel like they knew them! I choose to celebrate their lives instead of mourn their deaths..but it took awhile.
Sending warm hugs to you!!
xoxox