here i am ... baring it all (so to speak).
naked face.
hair pulled back in a pony.
(which is how i wear it more than anything ... or in a hat)
i truly debated putting this picture out there ...
but these two gorjuss friends of mine ... Liv...
read her post HERE...
beautiful beyond words ... INSPIRED me ...
as they do in COUNTLESS ways.
so i thought ... what the hell...
i have realized as i edge closer and closer to 40
how bittersweet it is ...
this whole getting older thing.
(after all i still feel like i am 20!)
how i notice more and more
the wrinkles on my face,
gray hairs,
gray eyebrows (yes, younger girls ... THAT happens) ...
the fact that i cut bangs last summer
to cover all the wrinkles on my forehead ... after all,
it is MUCH cheaper (let alone less painful) than botox!!!
the fact that if i am not careful my butt will start
to become part of my legs ...
so daily walks are now becoming more of a necessity!!
but also the beauty in aging ...
of how i become more and more
comfortable in my own skin ...
as i continually work on myself,
expand my horizons and my mind.
how much more i realize "stripped down",
in the sense of taking off all masks, being REAL ...
is becoming more and more appealing to me.
i am more and more drawn to authentic relationships ...
they are actually becoming the ONLY kind i want in my life ...
the kind i can put my heart into ...
the kind i can invest in.
the more and more i don't worry so much
about what "everyone else thinks".
the more i realize it IS the little things in life ...
the heart moments i share with my children, my husband,
my friends, my family...
that are the beauty i want to see everyday...
take note of ... (not the wrinkles on my face)
so...how do you all feel...
to bare or not to bare...
can you embrace the perfectly imperfect you?
(as said By the LOVELY LIV)
peaceandlove
kolleen
YOU are simply beautiful no matter what-makeup or no makeup-hair or no hair. You're beautiful soul shines right through those gorgeous blue eye of yours! I love you my friend. xo
ReplyDeleteits a good thing you feel 20 because you sure look like 20!!!! your beauty reflects your inside. i am so happy our paths crossed. you continue to inspire me day in and day out....(ps. i got some cowgirl boots with a blue bird on them). love you 8's sister!!! xoxoxo
ReplyDeleteI wrote a soul baring post this morning as well, but it didn't feel as good as reading yours makes me feel. You are a beautiful, lovely soul, and I'm so happy I met you!
ReplyDeleteLook at you! So shiny and stunning in all your "naked" glory. It is freeing, isn't it? Life's too short to spend it searching for the next great wrinkle cream or hiding our so-called flaws. Easier said than done, some days...right?
ReplyDeleteThe key is letting your inner light shine through and YOU, my dear, do that everyday. xo
sigh.... you sure have picked up a lot of wisdom for still being in your 30's!!! Can't say that I was there at all. Honestly, I feel that so much of what I have learned about life has been in my 50's. Either I am a late bloomer or you are just a tad precocious (maybe both!) Anyway, yes aging is part of life and definitely has pros and cons. And kind of hits you before you know what happened! And I totally agree that life is way too short to spend on relationships that are not authentic and nourishing on BOTH sides! Beautiful thoughts, beautiful YOU!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a great post and its so nice to meet you! It's so important for us, as women, to embrace not only our creativity within, but also ourselves as a beautiful created being! <3
ReplyDeleteWhat a beautiful post....I think you are a bright, shiny light with a wonderful wisdom far beyond your years! I say we savor the wrinkles, perceived imperfections and all that other "stuff" that shows up with the passing of time and we proudly wear each and every grey hair and line as a trophy of all that we have accomplished and everything that is yet to come! Thank you for being so authentically YOU!
ReplyDeletelovely ..
ReplyDeleteYou are so beautiful. <3
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is an unexpected benefit of always being bare and not being very good at anything skincare related ;) because I realize now that it's never occurred to me to worry about my face related to imperfections and aging and such. However my face looks in the moment seems normal and expected because I never do anything to it so that's how it always looks. Which is not to say that I don't worry about many other self-image sort of things and wish my smile was less crooked and such .. but at least there is one little place that I feel slightly free in. :)
ReplyDeleteYou are always beautiful, my dear, inside and out.
You are gorgeous. Big hugs. xxx
ReplyDeleteYou are such a gorgeous soul!!:O) Love the post, an inspiration you are:O)
ReplyDeleteI'll be turning 47 this month (now, THAT'S old). I've come to embrace more natural beauty and less make-up. The wrinkles and greys have been coming fast and furiously but I think we just have to celebrate the aging process instead of trying make ourselves look 20 years younger. Older women rock :))
ReplyDeleteOh darling, you are so beautiful inside and out. Thank you so much for the inspiration!
ReplyDeleteMuch love to your way and a wonderful weekend!
xoxoxoxoxo
Giovanna
It's really funny that I received an amazing email from a friend this morning. It was all about embracing the current "you" and not trying to look like a teenager. It made me all teary....and then I checked in on your blog! Teary all over again! You are beautiful and I so appreciated your post! xoxo
ReplyDeletebare is my favorite kind.
ReplyDeletesuch inspiring posts by liv, kelly & you.
gorjuss, gorjuss, gorjuss.
xxxooo
aging is a funny thing. i think i have a love/hate relationship with it. i love my life,(thought it's not all pie in the sky) where i am at this stage and who i am becoming. i still have moments when i catch a glimpse in the mirror of "who in the hell is that woman" because i certainly do not feel that old...i really do believe what is on the inside shows on the outside...and we worry too much about the outside and neglect the inside.
ReplyDeletethanks for this post and for encouraging us all to be real.