These are some of the words I am bombarded with each day as I thumb through a magazine or watch TV. Am I missing something or has it become a sin to age?

It seems like we are constantly being told that we are not ok as we are, but may need to be reconstructed to “defy” one of the most rewarding cycles of life. Are we suddenly less valuable at middle age because we don’t have crow’s feet or sagging skin?

In other areas of the world the more wrinkles you have, the more respect you are shown. In Japan, age is a source of honor and prestige. With a reverent bow, the youth honor the evidence of wisdom that wrinkles proclaim. And in India, youngsters kneel down and touch the feet of elders as a sign of respect.

In our western society there is an ongoing campaign to smooth everything out, pull it up and tuck it away, Where is the mention of the interior riches we will gain as time moves us forward? Each new decade that knocks on our door is an opportunity for our consciousness to open to a wondrous accumulation of treasure. When I think of genuine beauty I think of Mother Teresa, not Paris Hilton.

So call me a rebel, but I ain’t going there. Who am I to turn back a clock? My body is the abode of the soul and I’ll take care of it naturally, organically and lovingly. I look forward to becoming the eccentric, new age grandma I am destined to be. I’m going to grow old with grace and dignity, looking forward to the day when my now teenage daughter bows down to touch my feet.