A Love Letter to Aging
I came across a quote the other day that said, “Isn’t it weird being the same age as old people.” I seriously laughed out loud. I don’t think of myself as old at all. I’ve always felt young at heart, something I inherited from my Mama. I truly believe age is a mindset. It’s our thoughts that shape whether we see getting older as something positive or something to dread.
Someone once told me, “Age has no beauty.” For a while, I believed them.
When I first noticed my smile lines (yes, I call them that instead of wrinkles), I saw them as a sign of loss – loss of youth, freshness, of that version of beauty I was taught to admire. That comment echoed in my mind and planted a quiet fear: that aging was a detriment.
But over time, something in me shifted.
I started looking at age not as something to fight, but something to understand. I began to notice the grace it brings. The strength. The wisdom. The quiet confidence of someone who has been through things and managed to come out on the other side with softer edges and sharper clarity.
I started embracing the freedom that aging offers – the liberation of not needing to please everyone, of being able to say “no” without an explanation, and perhaps most importantly, the art of not giving a fuck about what other people think. That one took time. And trust me, it wasn’t easy. But now that I’m here? It feels like peace.
Aging doesn’t erase beauty. It reveals a different kind- one that can’t be rushed, replicated, or bought. It’s the beauty of becoming. Of knowing who you are. Of honouring your journey.
And now, when I look in the mirror and see those smile lines, I smile again. Because I earned them.
We live in a world that glorifies youth, often forgetting that there’s a profound elegance in aging. Those smile lines? They’re not flaws - they’re evidence of joy, pain, resilience, and a life fully lived.
As the old saying goes, “aging is a privilege denied to many.” So, let’s shift that perspective from dread to gratitude. Each year, each line, each experience is something not everyone is fortunate enough to live through.
Until next time…