"I wish I had your courage," said a lady twice my age, "but it [gray hair] doesn't suit me, you see." To which I say (in my head) something along the lines of "Pfffft, whatever."
Seriously, though, at less than forty, it's not easy to let nature take its course, especially when I get asked if my children are my grandchildren! Gray hair is way more alternative than eating organic or cloth nappies. I don't actually set out to be weird and different, but this is something I feel really strongly about. I'm not "having a go" at what other people choose to do with their hair, but I'd like to free other women my age (and a lot older) from feeling like they have to maintain an illusion of youth by covering up gray hair.
The Bible says:
The glory of young men is their strength,and
And the splendor of old men is their gray head. (Proverbs 20:29)
The silver-haired head is a crown of glory,
If it is found in the way of righteousness. (Proverbs 16:31)
In other words, the natural aging process is not something to be ashamed of or hidden. If God thinks gray hair can be awesome, who are we to argue? (On the other hand, an elderly person who has gained no wisdom in their lifetime and continually makes foolish decisions has to be one of the saddest people on the planet.)
I'm choosing not to cover up the physical aging process. I'll do my best to stay fit and healthy so I can best serve my family and community, but rather than hide behind colour from a bottle, I'm trying to make sure my character growth keeps up with my graying hair. May my "silver-haired head" be found in the "way of righteousness"!
