Crow's Feet

I'm vain. What can I say? I hate stepping outside my house without makeup. It used to be worse. Back in the day, I'd dye my hair the minute one strand of silver poked through. I'd tweeze myself raw. My nails were always done and I enjoyed a getting a new hair style.

Call it motherhood or maturity (probably more towards the motherhood end of it) I have noticed these don't matter as much. Even though I feel naked without makeup, I will indeed brave the stores without it. My clothes are not brand new and mod anymore. This is mostly due to the fact that most of our resources go into the kiddies.

I say this because I noticed something today in the mirror. Something that a couple years ago would have sent me to the Este Lauder counter at Macy's. Crows Feet. I remember much older women talking about these horrors when I was little. I had laughed it off then, thinking that they were being downright silly.

Then today as I was looking through some photos recently taken I saw... them. No, couldn't be. I'm not old. I rushed to the bathroom mirror and... yup ... there they were. It looks like a baby crow stepped in fresh cement on either side of my eyes. What's up with that?

I started getting down, but then a familiar verse crossed my mind. Prov. 31:30 says, "Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." (NIV) I smiled and there they were again. Beauty is fleeting. Beauty by man's definition is definitely fleeting. It's true. However, I have come to the conclusion that Crow's Feet are a thing of true beauty.

How does one obtain crow's feet? Do they just appear one day when our skin loses its elasticity? Partly. Also, they are the result of smiles. Many, many smiles. Years of smiles. I think I prefer the term laugh lines. Yes, that's much more poetic! I feel blessed to be the age that I am and to have these laugh lines. It means that even with all the rotten things that have happened in my life, there were also some very good things too. I've had love. I've had friendships. I've had babies. I've tasted the glorious combination of mint and good chocolate. All things that bring a smile to my face.

These eyes have watched my babies take first steps. My eyes have watched my husband skidding across an icy parking lot just to help me get across safely. With these brown eyes, I've taken mental snapshots of some of the sweetest people you'll ever meet. So these crow's feet, uh, I mean laugh lines were earned!

Now, don't be shocked if I dye the silver from my hair. I may even get the gumption every now and then to tweeze my eyebrows from time to time so that I don't start resembling Bert from Sesame Street. But no Botox for me. I think if I'm going to have them, then let them be deep rooted! Bring it on! Let the good times roll and the crow's feet dance!