KYRA DAVIS: Giving Thanks...For The Crow's Feet

The day before Thanksgiving the cashier at Trader Joe's instantly gave me something to be thankful for. He looked down at my basket full of groceries, picked up the one indulgence (a Jamaican Rum loaf cake) and asked shyly, "I'm sorry but I'm going to need to see your ID."

Now I haven't been IDed for almost a year and I don't think I've ever been IDed in order to buy a cake (which speaks very well for the cake...I mean, how much rum did they put in this thing?). It really made me quite happy because while feeling young is the most important thing looking young is certainly a major perk.

But then again I do think our youth-obsessed culture can get out of hand. My mother tells me that she spotted her first wrinkle well before 30 and so it's no surprise that I'm now able to spot crow's feet when I smile at my reflection. Popular culture would tell us that I should be running to the nearest clinic to ask about collagen injections. But the truth is I kind of like my crow's feet. I think they make my smile softer and make me seem more approachable and maybe even a bit more mature. I know we tend to forget this but maturity is actually a GOOD thing. So I don't care what the magazines say, I'm keeping my new wrinkles. It took a lot of smiling to earn them and I consider them a badge of honor and a mark of both inner and outer beauty.

So I am thankful. I'm obviously most thankful for my family, my friends and for being an American (that's sounds corny but I am truly grateful for that). But on a much more superficial level I'm thankful because I actually believe that I look better now than I did when I wasn't old enough to buy the rum cake. I'm in good shape, I've finally been able to grow my hair past my shoulders without it becoming unmanageable AND I have awesome crow's feet.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you and your families! And keep those wrinkles!

Kyra Davis
Bestselling Author of:
SEX, MURDER AND A DOUBLE LATTE,
PASSION, BETRAYAL AND KILLER HIGHLIGHTS,
OBSESSION, DECEIT AND REALLY DARK CHOCOLATE
and
SO MUCH FOR MY HAPPY ENDING

2 comments :

AnonymousMonday, December 8, 2008 at 5:46:00 PM PST
When I worked at Wal-Mart, we were only required to card people who were obviously younger than thirty.

This one woman, WAY beyond thirty, came in and bought a carton of cigarettes. I didn't card her, and she got really insulted. She was like, "Why didn't you card me?! How do you KNOW I'm not under 30?!"

So I took her card anyway, to be polite. Some people. :D

Speaking of rum cake, my mother made a rum raisen carrot cake for Thanksgiving that was so strong we had to bake a cherry pie for the kids. Good stuff.
kyradavisMonday, December 8, 2008 at 8:43:00 PM PST
I think your mom and I would get along rather well!

I can't imagine getting upset about not being carded. After all, there were plenty of times when I WAS under 30 and wasn't carded and I didn't get upset then. But some people need to find things to be upset about. It apparently makes their lives more interesting.