Will you Celebrate or Cringe?

Yesterday, I wrote that I have been born into a community and have lived all the stages of my life in that community (with some interruptions when I lived out of town). When I enumerated the stages of life--child, youngster, teen, etc--it reminded me that I am not generally one to sit and look at photo albums. I have a pretty vivid memory, and I always think that I will remember this day or that occasion. But do we remember? And what do we remember? Specifically I am referring to the process of all those stages of life. As children, we are unaware of our looks if we are lucky and not some pageant child fulfilling her parents’ dreams. My favorite picture of myself at that stage is one in which I am in the backyard, wearing over-alls, and have dirty hands and a smudge on my face. I don’t remember that day specifically, but I do remember many days like it and how free and happy I felt. The overalls were gray. I, like other young girls, grew into an awareness of how I looked, and later pictures are of a more self-conscious girl, a teen maybe, whose hair was combed and who had a camera smile on her face. Wedding pictures show a young woman with nice makeup, a nervous groom, and stars in her eyes. Later pictures of that era show long dark hair, the silly clothes of the era, and either impatience with the camera, or posing for it. Then come the baby pictures, and the early birthday parties, when mom (me) is looking more tired, but mature and happy. Hair was shorter because there was no time for long hair and two babies. Life was far more complicated and it began to show. When I look in the mirror today, I am more aware of my father’s nose. My hair began to gray in my forties, but I liked it so I still have gray hair. Sometimes, the person I see in the mirror does not look at all familiar and I wonder who she is. When did this line appear? And what will I look like tomorrow? But does this scare me or make me sad? I am glad to say that it does not. The privilege of living brings with it some changes. Our skin is not as resilient, but our spirits are. Our eyes, which have seen sorrow, and shed tears when we thought our hearts would break, have also seen joy, and shone in appreciation at the beauty of a sunset, or a new discovery. If you are lucky enough to have laugh lines, I hope that you have shared the jokes and the smiles with those you have loved. Photographs sometimes take us by surprise when we realize how we have changed in appearance over the years, but I hope you are not disappointed. Because you have taken the ride of a lifetime, you have seen and heard and tasted and felt all that came your way, and along that way, you have used this wonderful creation that is your body. Don’t let vanity rob you of even a millisecond of those good times that may or may not have taken a toll on the package. Celebrate the party that you have lived!