Writings by Jackie

Natural Beauty

I’m a natural beauty. I don’t dye my hair, or wear make-up, and I haven’t had any “work done”. No nips or tucks here! 

If you love the beauty of nature, then you’ll love me as you find me. My face has grayed; my eyes have come to droop slightly. I have some sagging skin. If you look into my eyes, you’ll notice my growing cataracts. Skin tags and warts are part of who I’ve become. Pet me, and you’ll touch places where my hair has worn off, never to grow back, places where my skin has thickened. My smile isn’t as pearly as it once was, but the joy I feel when I am moved to “smile” is something that has never changed. You might see a scar from an earlier operation, or an injury from running through the woods. I wear my history gracefully.

You love the beauty of nature. Why do I have my doubts when you look at me in haste, turn away, or feel sorry for me? I hear, “Poor old dog” or maybe even “You’re a nice boy”, but your face says it all; your eyes tell no lies. You see my age but not my character. I know what you are thinking; he’s old.

Maybe, by “old”, you mean less attractive, not as much fun, a dog that lays around all day, not very interesting. If that is so, then you need to stop lying to yourself about your love of nature. You don’t love nature at as much as you think, and you won’t see the beauty in me.

I am nature. I am the product of a life well lived. I aged gracefully and wear my age with pride. I am the beauty in nature. I care about having fun and want to enjoy life. I exercise in moderation now, but enjoy it just as much as I did in my more active days. And interesting? Oh, the stories that I have to share, and the lessons I have to pass on to anyone sensitive enough to listen with their eyes and heart. When I teach you about myself, you’ll learn about yourself. And you’ll feel better about aging as a natural process, a passing of time. When you come to this realization, I know you’ll feel better about yourself, and about me.