"Those are wrinkles, aint nothin' to be scared of..."

Yesterday as I was cleaning up the bathroom after Michael's bath, I caught my reflection in the mirror. It was one of those moments when you arent entirely sure if what you think you saw is reality or not, you know like when you see a really good mullet or someone crazy enough to wear a bathing suit to the grocery store, one of those moments when you need a second look. What I thought I saw was a tired looking old person in my mirror, after a second look I did realize that there wasnt an "old person", but that it was me. One of my all time favorite cheesy country love songs is titled "Wrinkles" (truly a gem, listen to it), but in a way it describes my experience the other night. Sometime during the past 8 years those smile lines got just a little bit more permanent, and a few other "crinkles" showed up. I am not saying for a second that I am ancient (seriously 26 (almost) is this year's 18, just like black is this year's pink), but let's say I have a bit more life experience than I once did. For the moment I have made my peace with things, there are no grey hairs and that might be harder to handle, for now I will think of exhaustion eveident on my face as a badge of honor, a symbol of endurance, experience, and life, a symbol of my role as sister, wife, and mother, and a reminder of all the moments that led me to that one minute of surprise the other night. I am sure there will be more moments like this ahead of me, but for now, bring on the wrinkles.