Beauty In Today's World

You can't pick up a magazine or turn on your TV without seeing ads for beauty. Creams, lotions, hair dyes, and make-up that will soften your skin, make you look younger, remove crows feet, give you pouty lips, make you more desirable, and in general, turn you into the person you were in your early twenties.

Why are we so stuck on our looks and the looks of others? What is wrong with growing older? After all, we are all going to get older, and those who don't, well, I hope they knew Jesus and went to Heaven. Growing older, getting older, looking older, is just a part of life and we shouldn't be ashamed to admit our age. I'm not saying there is anything wrong with exercise, diet, and being active no matter what age. Sitting around like a couch potato isn't good for anyone, but that's just good health, staying strong and vital. I'm talking about the outside appearance and the obsession we have with beauty and youth.


It is almost considered a sin to look your age these days. I think The Golden Girls was the last TV show that really portrayed older women as being vital and beautiful with gray hair, little make-up, and a few extra pounds. It's the nature of life to grow older, to gain a bit of weight after bearing children, and then having the dreaded "mid-life spread." So why doesn't TV portray older as wonderful, vital and full of life and wisdom.

I am 53 years old, and I'll be 54 in October. The last time I stressed over my age was on my 30th birthday, which seems totally ridiculous to me now. I don't mind telling my age because that's how old I am, first of all, but I'm also not ashamed of living this long, of having the wisdom and knowledge I have acquired over the many years on earth.
I've made mistakes, I've done stupid things, I've put my life in danger, and why I'm still alive can only be attributed to God loving me and having a plan for my life.

It's not that I am against using make-up, perfume, or any of the other things I've mentioned, I use some of those same things on occasion but what I am against, is making outward beauty more important than inward beauty. I see shows advertised on TV like the Bad Girls Club, Real Housewives of..., Jersey Shores, Bridezilla's, and others that are just an exercise in bad taste, bad manners, and showing off body parts. These shows seem to say, "As long as your boobs are bigger than your IQ, you can act any way you want."

I would much rather see out of shape people looking the best they can, proving that manners, politeness, and caring more about others than yourself is the best way to live. And as my younger brother once said, "You're an old girl now. You know that, right?"