wabi-sabi

I always get the same surprised response when I tell people I cannot wait to be 50. This is definitely something that is not very respected or honored in our American culture at all. When I think of reaching 50 I think of all the journeys I will have walked, the valleys high and low. In just a years time my mind and heart grow and change so much, I can only imagine at 50 what woman I will be. The lines that will progressively grow deeper into my skin I will wear with honor and as each new line reveals itself I will understand even more the mercy and grace of the Lord.

_________________________________________________________

I could not have put this in better words, this below was taken from an article on the beauty of age:

The Japanese language has a specific word for the beauty that comes with age, sabi. The term refers to the concept that changes due to use, age, or wear may make an object more beautiful as well as more valuable. This incorporates an appreciation of the various cycles of life and the careful, artful mending of damage. This term has been combined with another Japanese word, wabi, into the phrase wabi-sabi, which means, "a beauty of things imperfect, impermanent, and incomplete. It is a beauty of things modest and humble. It is a beauty of things unconventional. The closest English word to wabi-sabi is probably "rustic". Things wabi-sabi are unstudied and inevitable looking, unpretentious and their craftsmanship may be impossible to discern." This type of expression would be used to describe the beauty of a cracked pot, tarnished metal, or even the wrinkles on an old woman's face.