I've earned them...

When I was a child, I used to love watching women primp themselves. I would watch with fascination at my Grandma curling her hair, with the tiniest curling iron imaginable, then getting it just right with her round brush before tacking it all down with hairspray. My Granny would put clips and combs in her wavy hair when she was getting ready to head out...or just to get it out of her eyes. And she wore mood lipstick, which we would go into her bathroom and sneak onto our lips...and always it would stain them the most obnoxious shade of red. Aunts and momma putting on makeup before work, or a night out always made me wish for the days I could play with paint on my face!

But, my Grandmama was the one who had the most extravagant routines. Mostly after working all day long. She would sit at the kitchen table, with a tub of Pond's skin cream, and slather it on her skin, then would take a wet towel and wipe away the whole day. She would smear on Vaseline to her eyes and wipe off her purple eye shadow, and black mascara. The witch hazel to get any gunk off that remained. And there she would be...clean face, and feeling better, with her "fresh face".

I remember one evening, watching her wipe off her mask and I asked her how come she had so many lines around her eyes? Probably not something an older woman wanted to hear, but I think she knew I was just asking out of childlike curiosity. She told me it was because she's smiled more than she had frowned...and she had earned them. That was also her answer for she didn't dye here silver hair...because she had earned it.

I can remember standing before any bathroom mirror after that and scrunching my eyes up, to make the lines appear like my Grandmama had. I wanted "laughing lines". She saw me one time doing this in her bathroom and she asked me what on earth I was doing...I told her I wanted laughing lines too. She told me I'd have them one day...they don't show up overnight.

But I think they must have. As I was getting my face cleaned this evening, I noticed the slightest hint of those laughing lines...and it made me smille. A real, unforced smile...remembering my Grandmama...and her special lessons in life. I also noticed the silver hair crowning the front of my hairline...and have to thank her for that too...silver hair at 31. I guess some would not want the lines and grey hair...but I have to agree with her way of thinking. I've smiled much more than I've frowned in my life...and I've earned every bit of it.