Thinking back about the women I have loved, my mom, aunts, and grandmothers, I remember admiring their beauty as a child. I remember thinking how uniquely beautiful they each were. I never thought “Oh gross, Monmon sure does have a lot of wrinkles.” I was lucky to be raised in a household where negative body discussions did not happen. I never heard my mom, aunts, or grandmothers talking about fixing themselves with creams, chemicals, or surgery. They just embraced and accepted who they are.
As I have aged and continue to find new wrinkles and a few grey hairs, I try to remember that it is a privilege to age. We all know or know of someone whose life ended way too soon. Some of us may have even fought the fight of life-fighting illnesses or addictions to make it to where we are today. I want to leave the same legacy for my children that generations before me did, to love ourselves.
For me, I am choosing to embrace my aging. I am learning to love myself with my wrinkles and grey hair. I will stand tall in who I am and who I was made to be. I have earned each of these wrinkles and laugh lines. The memories of the moments that made me laugh so hard I cried will make these laugh lines a little sweeter.
Cheers to my wrinkles & grey hair! May they remind me (and you) that we are perfect just the way we are. You are loved. Let’s love ourselves and little more wrinkles and all!
