Learning to Love My Fairest-in-the-Land Skin

The Fairest in the Land!

There was a time—somewhere between The Love Boat and Aqua Net—when the ultimate summer goal wasn’t hydration or “sun safety.” Oh no. It was a tan. A glorious, golden-brown tan. And we pursued it with the kind of reckless abandon usually reserved for rock concerts and platform shoes.

I came of age in the 1970s and 1980s, the decades when we slathered ourselves in tanning oil and laid on reflective silver mats all the better to roast both sides evenly—like human rotisserie chickens. Even though my mut pedigree includes a small percentage of Native American lineage, those gorgeous bronze genes ghosted me. My natural complexion actually resembled a ghost.

All of my sunbathing efforts amounted to only the faintest shade above pale, what I’d now call “an undercooked toasted marshmallow.” But I’m no quitter, so I spent marathon hours attempting to attain that elusive golden glow.

There was one benefit to our well-oiled skin: it prevented us from being kidnapped. We’d slide right out of any abductor’s hands.

Fast forward a few decades, and things have… changed.

Now? I embrace my creamy whiteness with a constellation of brown spots that serve as souvenirs of my sun-worshipping days. SPF 50 is my new best friend. I wear it daily—even when it’s cloudy, even when I’m indoors, even when I’m just walking from the front door to the mailbox. I own three different sun hats, each larger than the last, and at least one of them could double as an umbrella or a personal sailboat.

I also make regular pilgrimages to the dermatologist, who examines my skin with a magnifying glass and a degree of concern usually reserved for antique furniture restoration. I suppose at sixty-six I qualify as an antique—though I prefer the term classic. I’ve been lucky so far, with no traces of skin cancer and now and then a random individual compliments my skin. Maybe that tiny trace of Native American DNA did show up for me, providing some protection during my years of questionable judgement.

Isaiah 44:24 NIV

God created each of us to be beautiful in our own unique way. And yet, so often, we try to improve upon His creation—until one day, we realize He got it right all along. So here’s to aging gracefully, embracing our natural hues, and protecting the only skin we’ve got. Every shade of skin is a masterpiece. Embrace your God given glow—whatever shade that might be.

Blessings,

Angela

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Angela L. Gold is an encourager who shares the love of Christ in her writing. She is the author of The Lion Within and Kill Shot.