I may have a few more wrinkles, some gray hair, and a body that loves to remind me that I’m not twenty anymore, but I certainly don’t feel like the woman I imagined I’d be at this age. I mean, when I was younger, I thought 60 was old. How wrong I was!
I’m a woman who has lived, loved, raised children, welcomed grandchildren, made mistakes, learned lessons, and discovered new things about myself along the way. I’m still growing, still dreaming, and still becoming the woman God created me to be. And I like the me that I am (for the most part).
So why do we spend so much time wishing we looked like the women we used to be?
BEAUTY DOESN’T HAVE AN EXPIRATION DATE
As a portrait photographer, I’ve had the privilege of photographing Huntsville and surrounding areas women in just about every season of life.
I’ve photographed the young woman excited about their futures, mothers who have spent years pouring themselves into their families, professional women building their careers, and grandmothers who have discovered and ENTIRELY new kind of love.
And I’ve noticed something…
Regardless of age, we women seem to have a remarkable ability to identify everything we don’t like about ourselves.
The younger women worry about their skin, their weight, or whether they look like the women they see on social media. The older women focus on their wrinkles, changing bodies or gray hair they’ve been trying to cover. I’ll admit, I’m guilty.
BUT when I’m standing behind my camera I am seeing something ENTIRELY different.
I’m seeing strength, warmth, personality, a beautiful smile, eye the light up when someone mentions their children or grandchildren.
I’m seeing a woman with a story.
And sometimes, I wish I could hand her my eyes for just a moment so she could see what I see.
YOUR FACE TELLS A STORY
Think about the women you love most.
When you look at your mother or grandmother, do you notice every wrinkle? Do you find yourself wishing she had a different chin or a smaller waist?
Of course not!
You see the woman who loves you. The woman who taught you things, encouraged you, corrected you when you needed it, and helped shape the person you’ve become.
Those little lines around their eyes? They’re part of the face you know and love.
Why, then, do we struggle to extend that same grace to ourselves?
Somewhere along the way, we’ve allowed the world to convince us that beauty belongs primarily to the young. That aging is something to fight, hide or apologize for.
But I don’t believe that!
I believe there is beauty that comes with living. A beauty that cannot be manufactured with makeup, lighting, or that latest skincare product.
It’s found in the confidence of a woman who has learned what matters. In the tenderness of a grandmother holding her grandchild. In the strength of someone who has walked through difficult seasons and discovered she can still find joy.
It’s the beauty of becoming.
YOU’RE NOT FINISHED YET
One of the things I love about this season of my life is realizing that there is still so much to experience.
Hey, I started roller skating again! After 35 years, I put on skates and now I skate weekly! And guess what, there are SO MANY others my age on the floor with me.
And while my body may occasionally question my decisions, my heart absolutely loves it.
I’ve realized that getting older doesn’t mean we stop growing. It means we have more experiences to draw from as we discover what’s next for us.
Maybe your children are grown, and you’re figuring out what life looks like now. Maybe you’re starting a business, pursuing a dream, learning a new skill, or finding your way after a difficult chapter.
Whatever season you’re in, it deserves to be celebrated.
You don’t have to look like you did at thirty to be beautiful at sixty. You don’t have to have everything figured out to be worthy of being seen.
And you certainly don’t have to apologize for the years God has given you.
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