Wrinkles, my badge of honor
This year my wrinkles have definitely arrived to stay! It’s beyond the magical powers of creams, moisturizers, and, please, don’t even mention surgery at this late stage.
I have it all—around the eyes, above the lips and on my neck, too, just about everywhere you don’t want them to be! Now, I really look like Vergel’s prophetic caricature of me. The only consolation is “more character.” But isn’t that said of anyone grown old?
I guess it’s about time we looked our age. When else should we look old, but when we are. For me, It abruptly started when I turned 80. Since then it’s been downhill for me in both beauty and health departments.
Sure, getting COVID twice despite six vaccines plus one booster helped hasten the slide. My situation was also aggravated by certain health procedures—cataract removal from each eye and an insertion of two heart stents. The anxiety they caused surely has to do with some of the deterioration of my physical appearance and the impact on our not-so-deep pockets a further aggravating circumstance.
If wrinkles are the price of a long life, I will wear them proudly, like medals of honor. I will take them as a signal that I can be bolder in speaking my mind and making choices, including that of company—I no longer have the luxury of time to endure unpleasant company.
In matters of life, however, I have become more tolerant and forgiving. I can embrace my circumstances no matter how difficult, and I appreciate everything in a much deeper way—the past, the now and all my remaining tomorrows. Isn’t it ironic that it is now, when I’m finally generally relaxed, that my wrinkles have set in?
Skin deep
Vergel likes to console me by comparing me with some of my peers, who have major and more serious challenges. Indeed, the saying that beauty is not only skin deep better be true, because mine, if I ever had it, must have gone really deep. I can only hope and trust it is lodged somewhere where it matters.
“You don’t look your age!” This is as much as we can hope to expect by way of compliments. I haven’t a clue what exactly my age should look like, but I’ll accept it graciously. I have enough relatives who have lived to a hundred, to know what that age should look like. And I’m not sure getting that ripe is worth the P100,000 reward the government promises. But, hey, money is money.
Don’t get me wrong. I have not surrendered completely to aging. Proof is I’m dyeing my hair again, which definitely helps my looks as well as my morale and surprisingly my peers’ morale, too. Many were upset with me when I stopped coloring my hair and let it grow to its natural white. My guess is, when I revealed my true color they felt I blew away their own cover.
Some of us are vainer than others, and we know who they are. They are the ones who dress smartly and still look attractive and seem ageless. They are living fuller lives by looking good. And if I’ve learned anything as a woman, it is that vanity pays, but that it also costs.
Peace of mind
For a price, we can buy new eyebrows and lush lashes and look much more attractive. But I prefer to choose my battles and stick to the basics, and my budget. I’ll go on coloring my hair, or I’ll ll never hear the end of it. I’ll keep up my gym and aqua aerobics, eat everything but in moderation, have my regular blood works and other checkups—done every three months now on my doctor’s orders.
Still the most important beauty trick is to have peace of mind, avoid unnecessary stress, kick the worry habit, and, above all, become more prayerful and kinder to everyone around. Smiles will then come easier. I smile more now that I’m older because I have much more to remember with fondness. No doubt we all look better when we smile. That’s why we look awful in passport pictures— they don’t allow us to smile.
Laughter, indeed, is the best medicine; it even rejuvenates. It releases all stress and brings natural happy tears to our otherwise drying eyes.
We’re old, we’re supposed to be drying up, but then again we are the lucky ones who have lived so long—and so well. And that’s another reason to smile about. INQ
