An Ode To My Forehead Wrinkles

I was 22.

I had started my first corporate job. The excitement of becoming a businesswoman was overwhelming. And yet, the only things I remember vividly from that very first day are the forehead wrinkles on my new superiors. Beautiful faces, each with three soft lines on their forehead.

They call them ‘thinking wrinkles’- the consequence of thinking too much. Of course, a tax consultant lives and breathes problems and solutions. Thinking wrinkles are a normal side effect. My obsession with skin care tripled that day. I was determined to fight this skin ‘reaction’.

Ten years later, as I look into the mirror, I see three faint lines slowly embedding themselves into the skin of my forehead. They really aren’t bad. But they are there. In my quest to beat the odds, I’ve applied lotions, bee pollen, caviar-infused gels, protein-based cremes, saturated gold gel pads, escargot masks, and have made my own egg-white Vitamin E concoction. (I’ll blog about all of these eventually!)

When I see these three lines, I don’t see defeat. I haven’t failed to preserve my beauty. My ‘thinking wrinkles’ remind me of my life. And this is what I see…

An Ode To My Forehead Wrinkles

I’ve noticed you lately.
Three perfect faint lines.
My Orion’s Belt.
I am a huntress.
I strive to live the fullest.

You remind me that I have.

When I see you,
I see beauty.
I see resilience.
I see heartache.
I see surviving long distance love.
I see family far away.
I see a woman fearlessly paving her way in New York City.
I see fear overcome.
I see anxiety prevailed.
I see tears shed.
I see surviving a hurricane and then a house fire.
I see family near.
I see friends.
I see people who have inspired me.
I see people I wish to forget.
I see the moment I truly fell in love.
I see loneliness. I see perseverance.
I see restless nights.
I see worrying.
I see love.
I see working hard.
I see inner peace.
I see inner war.
I see the cigarettes I’ve smoked.
I see a few drunken nights.
I see his smiling face.
I see compassion.
I see laughter.
I see hope.
I see the past.
I see the present.
I see the future.
I see experience.
I see me.