Crow's Feet

As I work on a set of earrings with a crow motif, it seems appropriate that I am watching a tv program in which the people have been doing it long enough to show aging. Of course, I really don't know these people aside from what they allow the audience to see, but they all seem so nice. The host is a lovely lady who, I am now noticing, has developed quite a few smile lines. Another person seems to have facial skin that has migrated downward. Still another lady has lovely half-circles forming around her mouth. As I receive my own signs of aging, I seem to have a change in perspective from past years. I find myself smiling and wondering what little marks I will have as I get older.

So much of humanity is negative towards the look of aging, especially in women, hence the term, crow's feet. Why not eagle feet or parrot feet? The term is meant to be derogatory, as if there is something wrong with having wrinkles and marks as we age, because crows are also viewed as pests. So, when this term is used, it is to imply that a woman has lost her attractiveness and turned into something ugly and therefore has no other value than her looks and has become a nuisance. As a female librarian, I am well-informed about women and crows. Crows are some of the smartest and most adaptable birds we know of. They are cleaners and pest controllers as well. Since they are a misunderstood bird, perhaps women should turn an insult into a compliment, because we, too, are misunderstood. We are all beautiful in an undefined way, and as we age, our lives leave a story on our physical bodies, as they should. In a post, I saw someone say, "I am forty years old, and I look exactly my age because I have lived my life." She was of Asian nationality, and of course, we all know that they age differently than other races do, and often people prioritize how young we can look instead of just celebrating a life well lived.

I am so inspired by brave women who throw off the demands of society and live! I have seen magazines and posts where women refuse to wear heavy makeup to cover their age or disregard fashion trends to simply wear what they like. I love it!!! We need more of that spirit in our world, more of valuing people for who we are, not if someone labels us useful or not.