I would consider myself a pretty happy person. Two different co-workers at two different jobs separately gave me the nickname “sunshine” because of my bright demeanor. So how come, with my bushy-tailed optimism and all-around cheerfulness, the first wrinkle that I get on my face is a frown line?

There’s this indent above my nose between my eyes and it just looks miserable. I’ve apparently made that “annoyed” expression enough times that it has embedded itself into my face. I could deal with laugh lines or smile lines, but a frown line?! ICK!

I’ll admit – sometimes I have a crummy day and still put on a positive face at work because, well, that’s just what you’ve gotta do. But this frown marking begs to differ – maybe my aging face had decided to divulge my dirty little secret. What if, with each passing year, my once young, fresh visage starts showing all the signs of my inner self?

Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps the next wrinkles to come will be the feathery hint of too much smiling and laughing around my eyes and mouth. Then maybe my skin will start to look tired, but that’s only because I’ve been so busy entertaining in my home like a Martha-rockstar and raising babies like a Susie-pro. And then actual wrinkles that don’t have any particular rhyme or reason will set in because I’ve had an abundance of wonderful years watching my children grow and seeing them have kids of their own.

It’s not the most pleasant thing to get wrinkles, let alone get the first in the form of a scowling frown. But I guess if it means that my face and body are starting to show the signs of the great life I’m living, then that’s okay. This sums it up (I carry this around in my wallet):

“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, totally worn out and proclaiming, ‘WOW, WHAT A RIDE!!!’”