Beauty Treatment

Written by Ivey Harrington Beckman

This article is courtesy of HomeLife.

How can it possibly be fair that a 40-something woman must face chin hairs and pimples? I mean, really, both? Concurrently? It’s like a bizarre tug-of-war between puberty and menopause. I have tweezers in one hand and benzoyl peroxide in the other. Meanwhile, my body is struggling with its sense of direction (some parts are gravitating south even as the rest of me inches east to west). Add to that, my chin is developing a “buddy.” (This is definitely a case in which two are not better than one.)

Alas, in the midst of this 40-something conundrum, I realize I’m not the woman I used to be. And for that, I thank God. Because of Him, I’m a lot less selfish and a lot more confident, wiser about saying no and much more judicious when I say yes. I have been through life experiences that have molded and polished me into the woman I am today. I’m far from perfect — but I clean up pretty well. One of the greatest things about being 40-something is I’ve had time to iron out some of the kinks. And if the ironing produced a few wrinkles, so be it. Hooray for character lines!

My friend Kellye, an image consultant, tells me that by the time a woman is in her 40s, she has a more true picture of herself. I say, “Preach on, sister! This is a Kodak moment!” Life has taught me that I can’t be all things to all people, and that I must honor myself as one of God’s girls, and, above all, honor Him.

I’ll never look 20-something again — and I wouldn’t want to relive those “who in the world am I?” years. Now, if I could go back to the 20-something energy, vitality, and physical appearance with the gleaned wisdom of a 40-something, it might be a fun ride — but an absolutely unfair one. God knows I’d abuse that combo. This is, quite likely, why He doesn’t package women that way.

Truth be known, I left behind the “I am woman, hear me roar!” song-and-dance long ago. Never could sing it in tune anyway (too much outside interference). Psalm 45:11 is my new anthem: “The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord” (NIV). Now that’s the absolute best beauty advice I’ve ever received!

Girls, by celebrating both our inner and outer beauty, we can be more beautiful in the second half of life than we were in the first — even with chin hairs, pimples, and gravitational pull. I love that! Don’t you?

Ivey Harrington Beckman is the editor in chief of HomeLife. She is spunky enough to wonder how long one of those renegade chin hairs would grow — if she let it. But she’s polite enough not to show it.

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