Why I Don't Need a Glow Up

And you don't either, midlife friend.

Image by Amit Fulwariya from Pixabay

I decided I needed to lighten things up a bit here and write something that feels less ranty. I really am a cheerful person. I promise!

But I just have to say one thing.

It seems like aging gracefully has gotten a bad rap these days. Every time I scroll through Pinterest, there’s another article about a midlife glow up. I’m just over here trying to remember where I put my glasses and googling what to do about joint pain that migrates around my body like the senior version of Whac-A-Mole.

Did I just go all-in on another rant?

Here’s the deal: a midlife glow up is supposed to involve some magical combination of Botox, yoga, green juice, and maybe a dramatic haircut. The end result? You emerge looking ten years younger and, presumably, glowing. Or at least that’s what the internet tells me.

Graceful aging, apparently, involves a lot of serums and possibly a makeup artist and hair stylist living in your home. ‘Cause there’s no way it looks the same when I try it myself the next day. My four-year-old granddaughter has more ability than I do. I still haven’t figured out how to operate those microscopic clear rubber bands for her “ponies.” This #boymom ain’t got no skills for that.

But back to the non-rant. You know what? I think we’ve been sold a lie. Midlife doesn’t need a glow up. In fact, it might need the exact opposite. To simmer, settle, and feel at home in our own skin. The $150 eye cream doesn’t make our faces radiate—that comes from knowing who we are and not apologizing for it.

Your body has carried you through decades of life—wrinkles, scars, age spots, and all. It deserves respect, care, and tenderness. Let’s be real: nobody’s looking at us under a magnifying glass. And if they are . . . weirdos!

I’ve been guilty of thinking of midlife as reinvention. But it’s more about realization. Realizing how far we’ve come. That we don’t need to prove anything. That confidence looks pretty amazing on us. And that God created us to age, not to become plastic versions of what we once were. Realizing that a smile is better than any TikTok filter.

What is the glow up we’re really chasing? Maybe it’s peace of mind. Contentment. Freedom from people-pleasing, the courage to set boundaries, and the ability to truly enjoy the present moment instead of obsessing over what’s next. It’s waking up and feeling so grateful for the life we’ve built rather than critiquing every small flaw. Or even the big ones! It’s laughing until the wheezing starts or the bladder control pads fail, savoring a sunset, and knowing that the real glow comes from joy, not perfection.

Let’s leave the glow ups to the twenty-somethings and their TikToks—or whatever platform they’re going to be using these days (SCOTUS made a ruling, you know). Our glow comes from the joy on our faces, from knowing when to say no, and from finally understanding that we were created for a purpose. Because glowing up is overrated. Glowing within? That’s the real deal.