There she was on Tiktok, a baby-faced 14 year old applying retinol, explaining each step of her skincare routine in depth to her followers.
“Here are some things I do to slow down the aging process,” she said.
Sadly, this has become a reality in today’s world. Young people compare themselves to unnatural and unachievable standards.
Throughout time, society has made people believe that they have to do everything in their power to stop the signs of aging. Most of these ideals usually fall onto women, whether it’s critique on how they should dress to look younger or how to stop the wrinkles from forming, instead of embracing aging.
This agenda is pushed into the faces of impressionable girls, each time towards younger and younger audiences. A new TikTok trend or a new celebrity having a 20-step skincare routine is an example of this. These young girls are told from the people they look up to the most that they have to keep their youthful looks as long as possible even though this comes with a hefty price tag.
But, why try to stop something natural and inevitable? Aging shows that people have lived a fulfilling and happy life. Nothing about getting older is “gross” or “unattractive,” but rather something beautiful. Aging is a gift that millions of people often don’t get the privilege to experience.
“Incomprehensible” by the artist Big Thief is a beautiful song about how growing old is truly a blessing and should be something that is embraced instead of hidden. “How can beauty that is living be anything but true?” is a line from the song that talks about everything that is living is beautiful.
For some people, aging is a reminder of the past, what’s at stake or what’s to come sooner or later. It’s almost a reality check that life doesn’t wait for anyone to catch up, but rather throws itself out there whether someone’s ready or not.
Every gray hair is a blessing. Every scar and wrinkle is earned just like every lesson is learned along the way. Smile lines are a gift from those around you. They are all a constant reminder that you are loved and cared for, so don’t try and hide them from the world.
Aging gracefully does not mean looking young or good for your age, but instead accepting who you are and how you look. If someday I get the privilege of being 40, then I hope I look 40. I hope I look like me.
