 Image@pinterest "Beautiful young people are accidents of nature. Beautiful old people are works of art." ~Eleanor Roosevelt
I was out recently and ran into a woman I've known a long time. She asked me about my cancer surgery and I lifted my hair, showing her the wicked looking scar on my neck. She flinched and commented, "You should see a plastic surgeon about that. They can probably cover it up completely." I laughed, replying, "It doesn't bother me. Battle wounds of life. Besides, it looks like somebody slashed my neck. That is the makings for a damn fine story." She smiled but I'm pretty sure she disagreed. It's okay. My skin is not flawless and as Time marches on, I'm sure it will be happy to further add to my imperfections. I don't mind. My body isn't cover model perfect (...and with technology being what it is, I'm pretty sure those on covers aren't either), but I'm not completely unfortunate looking naked and that's good enough for me. There is a peace in accepting who I am inside and out. It's not an easy state of mind to get to, especially with all of the pressures we are bombarded with on a daily basis to look this way or that. I don't like being told how to look (i.e. "Oh, you should colour your hair. Your grey is showing."...yes someone did, in fact, say that to me not long ago). My body, like my heart and soul, has seen "Life" and carries the aftermath of living it around with me, inside and out. Lines at the corners of my eyes? Remind me that I do know how to smile and actually do it on occasion. Grey hairs? Remind me that I was a military wife for twenty-four years (a tough job) and a mother twenty-two years and counting (even tougher). My hope is that everyone will learn to love and embrace the "skin you're in" because being who you are, proudly and unapologetically, is very beautiful. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes, and true beauty can't be seen with your eyes. It does, however, glow, shining light all around. It knows no age restrictions, rules, nor does it fit into any box constructed by "society's views of what constitutes beauty". All of that is ugly, manipulative hogwash. Be your own kind of beauty. The people who matter will see it and be dazzled!
2 Comments
B B King
4/24/2015 07:32:04 am
Ok, I'm back. You right, we do agree on a number of things - quite a lot actually.
Amy Marie Schaefer
4/24/2015 11:24:03 am
I have been working with kids for almost a decade and raising two daughters longer than that...it makes me nuts to see just how absent self-esteem and self respect are especially in the lives of our youth. As adults I feel like the only good combat to all of the negative body images is to teach them a better, broader view of what is beautiful or handsome. To me "ugly" has everything to do with behavior and zero to do with looks. Leave a Reply. |
About The Author
I grew up in rural North Carolina. When I was only nineteen, I moved away and became a military wife. My only aspiration at that tender time in my life was to create an adult life that "fixed" all of the "injustices" of my childhood. Secretly, however, I wanted to reach for the sky! I wanted to be a writer and find ways to "save the world" (my mother used to say, "You have Save the World Syndrome".). Mostly, I wanted to matter. Archives
August 2021
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