Mirror, Mirror...

Warning: This is not for the faint of heart. If you're under 20 and still have the flawless skin of a newborn and the abs of an Olympic athlete, well move along....you wouldn't understand. For the rest of us, the other 99.9% of us, lets get real! Growing old is not for wimps!

As I stood in front of the bathroom mirror (not the big one hanging on the wall, but the must-have light up magnifying one) earlier, clarifying, exfoliating, masking, de-masking, moisturizing, plucking, etc etc etc, I cracked up laughing! Sometimes we laugh to keep from crying, right??  And no, I didn't dare ask the age old fairy tale question, "Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who's the fairest of them all?"  Because frankly, right now, I love my light up, magnifying mirror and if it had answered me, well, I'm afraid it would have gotten ugly!!

I have a birthday looming around the corner, so I suppose that is why I'm looking closer at myself..and let me just go ahead and say it....44! I have a friend that says "you just can't say '44' and smile, its just not possible!" I remember being able to smile and say it then, when she was turning 44, but what about now? What about next month? Will I smile then?

When did gravity begin to take such big pulls on my skin? When did the metabolism slow down to the pace of a snail crossed with a tortoise?  When did those coarse, dark hairs start growing out of my chin?  When did smiling begin to make my eyes look like tiny slits that sprout wildly on the outsides? When did I have to start worrying about the way I hold my head in pictures for fear of all the chins appearing?  When did I begin creaking when I get out of bed? When did I start moaning in just the attempt at getting out of bed? 

Are you laughing yet? Have you found yourself there? If not, hang tight, honey, 'cause its coming for you! A great hair stylist can keep you looking younger for many years. Laser treatments may fix you for a while. Botox is temporary. A little tuck here and a lift there will defy gravity for a while longer, but in reality we are all aging.   Don't get me wrong, I'm not against any of those things; I am very much in love with my hair stylist!  As for the other stuff, well honestly, I can learn to embrace my wrinkles, stray hairs, and gravity pulled  parts over needles, knives, and pain!
So, will I smile come September 8 when I hit the big 4-4?  Well, how can I not? God's grace has set me free. God's power sustains me. God's faithfulness comforts me. God's mercies are new every single morning. God's plan for my life excites me. God's promise of eternity with Him gives me a hope like no other. And God's blessings I will enjoy....with wrinkles, growing pores, sprouting hairs, sagging parts and all! So call the fire department and light up the candles and bring on the chocolate cake! 44. Yeah, I'm good with that! I'm smiling!