You probably won’t feel sorry for me when I tell you I started finding grey hairs for the first time in this last year before I turned thirty-eight. It hasn’t gotten to a point where it’s noticeable to the untrained eye (aka: my husband and kids), but I see them — those sporadic inch-long lovelies. You might roll your eyes and tell me you’ve been finding greys since you were twenty-one. I know, I know. I’ve heard your laments about peering in your dorm room mirror and unexpectedly finding grey hairs.
Side note: Is it grey or gray? Technically, it’s gray in American English, but I prefer grey. So we’ll go with that.
I learned something new recently. Did you know you’re on-trend if you leave your hair natural or dye your hair grey nowadays? I came across an article from Glamour magazine touting young celebs rocking their true and (most likely) from-the-bottle greys. I’m not one to keep up with what celebs are doing with their hair, but I found this interesting. And do you know what? I don’t hate it. I love a head full of glistening white or grey on a woman, I think it’s lovely. A celeb trend or real-deal crown of glory as it is called in the book of Proverbs, is beautiful.
We’ve all heard that grey hair is a sign of wisdom, and all who first discovered grey at twenty-one scoff at the notion. But it’s true isn’t it? Grey hairs are hard won. The years of life have been full of experiences and wisdom-gaining. My years as a mom thus far have taught me, stretched me, and grown me in ways I could have never conjured up on my own without the long days and years of real-life, down and dirty mothering. My greys were fought for.
Each time we have a realization after a hardship, or decide to head in a different direction with a child after a string of stressful months of parenting, we’re growing wiser. Stronger.
Grey hair is a crown of glory (or sign honor) because each day we follow the Lord and let His Word and His ways grow us, we’re becoming more righteous. Solomon uses grey hair figuratively. He doesn’t mean that all donning grey hair are wise, or that all with grey hair are old (ahem, twenty-one year-olds). He’s simply making a generalization in this proverb about what old age generally means. Wise, grown, learned.
Grey hair reminds me of all I’ve learned and all the ways I’ve grown. I may decide to color them brown when the time comes. The jury’s still out on that one, but either way they’re a sign to be appreciated. We’ve come a long way, baby.
Amanda Bacon
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