Hiding Behind Our Bodies

I recently read an excerpt from a famous person’s blog which stated that she had never been comfortable with her body and had resorted to plastic surgery to make herself more attractive.  I don’t name the celebrity simply because the story is all to familiar.  I know of countless individuals who aren’t famous and feel the need to “change” something to make themselves more attractive. Is that a problem?  The cosmetic industry might not think so. Nor any industry built around our insecurities and fears.

As I enter into my fifties, I am faced with the undeniable fact that I am getting old.  My hair started turning white years ago.  I colored it when I was younger…my husband used to joke that he married me under false pretenses. But as I had children, I dropped anything I saw as a possible danger to the well-being of my children – including pouring strong chemicals on my head. As my hair has turned more and more white, I have been reminded by well meaning family members that I could color my hair…  I smile at the thought.  No, I’ve decided that I am brave enough to be white headed.  After raising kids for eighteen years, home schooling for thirteen, suffering through the sickness and death of my husband, and praying continuously for the relief of my country torn by factionalism, and our world torn by hatred, I feel like I have earned every thread of grey.

It takes courage to face the fact that I am growing old and that eventually I will die.  But at the same time, it is the greatest equalizer of all.  Everyone will suffer this reality.  All bodies decay pretty much the same. To allow myself to be reduced to hair color, body weight, and clothes seems a sad reflection of who I am called to be. Rather, I wish to focus the coming days, years (if I have them) to become someone worthy of being remembered as a woman of courage and value.  I do not size people up according to their looks – it takes time to get to know the character inside the body – but it is well worth the effort.  People are truly amazing. Some are scary as hell, others so noble it breaks your heart.  But, they are worth getting to know.  Even the character inside our own body. Hiding behind our bodies is fruitless – for one day – there won’t be a body to hide behind.