When you look in the mirror, what do you see? Do you see sinister signs of the war you’re waging against aging? Or do you see the satisfying results of a life well lived with memories etched on your visage? This is not to pass judgment: depending on where you are in your life and what you’re facing, either or both of these reactions may occur. But how you feel about the face you see in the mirror may affect the steps you take in response and the way you feel about yourself.

So, for example, some of us fuss and fume over every new wrinkle we see. To help feed this frenzy, put on your reading glasses and take a look at this recent piece in Healthline describing the 7 types of wrinkles you can get on your face and how to respond to each in kind. Or invest a few moments in reading about some anti-aging hacks that will supposedly allow you to turn back the clock on the face that greets you in the mirror. And speaking about that clock: a recent piece by Eric Wilson in InStyle magazine ponders what it would be like to live in a post-aging world. He wondered whether, given our lifestyles, diets, exercise routines and cosmetic procedures and potions, we have reached the point where no one has to look “old” anymore. And is that a good thing or not?

Well, according to 2 recent posts by older women writing in Medium, there’s nothing wrong with looking your age and embracing the face that stares back at you in the mirror. First up is writer Julie Hubbel whose personal essay, “Do You Love Your Aging Face? Musings on the Encroachment of Time and the Building of Character. I Hope,” suggests that she is on the path to accepting what she sees, wanting a face that “speaks to people” rather than a face “so perfect, so pretty that it intimidates.” As Hubbel concludes, “I could be angry at what time has etched on my visage or I could relax into the face I inhabit. I wonder which choice offers me more peace?”

Similarly, writer Beth Bruno, in her essay, “Why Should it be Our Goal to Look Younger Than We Are?” asks the reader to consider what may be an existential question we all face at some point: “Why isn’t it okay for me to look 57 (or 76 or 85)?” Her essay suggests that we need to confront both the ageism around us as well as the ageism we harbor within ourselves when we relentlessly pursue efforts to make ourselves look younger. As she wisely writes, “This is really about accepting myself fully…It means believing that looking a certain way is not what makes you old. It’s the way you look at the world that does that.” Something to ponder the next time you spot a new wrinkle or pluck a new gray hair.