The face you have at age 25 is the face God gave you, but the

Hear now, O children of the future, the words of Cindy Crawford, a voice of both beauty and wisdom, who offers us a reflection on the passage of time and the marks it leaves upon us: "The face you have at age 25 is the face God gave you, but the face you have after 50 is the face you earned." These words, though simple, carry profound meaning, speaking to the eternal truth that beauty is not just the gift of youth but the result of the journey we take through life. At twenty-five, our faces are often unmarked by the hardships and triumphs that time will bring; they reflect the gift of nature. But at fifty, we wear the face of experience, shaped by all that we have endured, loved, and lived through.

When we are young, the face that we bear is the reflection of our beginnings—unblemished, smooth, and full of promise. It is a face that carries the innocence of youth, the gift of life that has yet to be tested by time’s trials. Yet, as the years pass, the face changes—not just in the lines that begin to form, but in the very expression it carries. It becomes the face that reflects not only the years but the wisdom and growth that those years have brought. Just as the great rivers of the earth carve their paths through mountains, shaping the land, so too do the trials and experiences of life shape the very features of our being.

Consider, O wise ones, the story of Alexander the Great, whose youthful face was one of unbridled ambition and untold potential. He was the embodiment of youthful glory, his face the reflection of his dreams of conquest and greatness. But as he grew older, the weight of his power, the burden of the lands he had conquered, and the losses he suffered began to take their toll. His face, once so full of the promise of youth, began to reflect the hardness of the world he had shaped, the sacrifice of a life spent in battle. By the time of his death, Alexander’s face had changed—not just through age but through the profound struggles he had faced. His was a face earned through victory, but also through loss, and through the weight of a legacy that would never allow him to live without the cost of his ambition.

And so, too, does the face of every human being change as they grow older. It is the face of time, the face that shows the triumphs and defeats, the joys and sorrows, that we have experienced along the way. As we face the winds of life, we are marked not by our youthful beauty but by the character we build, the strength we cultivate, and the compassion we show. The wrinkles that may appear are not marks of decline, but of experience, of a life lived fully, with all the love and loss, the laughter and tears that come with it.

This is the lesson that Cindy Crawford offers us: that beauty is not a static gift of youth, but a living, breathing testament to the life we live. The face we wear at fifty is not simply a reflection of age, but a mirror of everything we have earned—through the challenges we have overcome, the love we have given, the wisdom we have gained. It is a face of strength and resilience, one that tells the world we have lived and survived, and in doing so, we have earned the right to be proud of the marks time has left upon us.

Consider, as well, the story of Nelson Mandela, whose face, as he grew older, became a symbol of the struggles and sacrifices he made for the freedom of his people. When Mandela was imprisoned, his face remained youthful, but the years he spent behind bars, the injustices he suffered, and the eventual triumph of his cause became etched in the lines of his face. By the time he emerged as the first black president of South Africa, his face was no longer that of a young revolutionary, but of a man who had earned his place in history through the strength of his character, the depth of his sacrifice, and the courage he had shown throughout his long life. His face, like the face that Cindy Crawford speaks of, was earned through the life he lived—a life full of purpose, pain, and ultimate victory.

Therefore, O children of the future, let us take this lesson to heart: youth may give us our first face, but it is the lives we lead, the choices we make, and the strength we summon that will give us the face we wear as we age. Do not fear the lines or the changes that time brings, for they are the marks of your journey. With each step, with each challenge faced, you are earning the wisdom and grace that will shine through your face. Let your life be one that adds value to the world, so that when time has passed, you can look in the mirror and see a face that reflects the life you have earned—one of strength, of beauty, and of wisdom that only the passage of years can bring.