Life

Read This Woman's Lovely Poem About Her Wrinkles

by Kat George

Oct. 21, 2015

I hope you're ready for your morning dose of inspiration, because this 92-year-old woman's poem about her wrinkles will make you love yourself more, and also shed a little tear. Not of sadness: but because life is really very beautiful, and quite fragile. See what's happening here? I've become very, very sappy, all after watching the one and a half minute poem being read. The poet is Wanda B. Goines, a woman who, at 92, is clearly filled with infinite wisdom that we should all strive to achieve. The poem is called "The Gift-Wrap & The Jewel", and it's about looking in the mirror one day to find a wrinkly old lady looking back.

Most of us probably can't directly relate, although one day we all will. Meanwhile, I'm 30, and I'm not sure how that happened because two weeks ago I was 22. So we all feel the inevitability and unexpectedness of time passing, and I'm sure will only feel it more and more as we get older. Wanda's message is clear: that in aging, we should focus on whats on the inside, "the jewel", and not what's on the outside, "the gift wrap", because eventually the gift wrap gets torn away and all you have is what's inside. Here are some of the most beautiful lines from the poem: