Caring for your patina
Beauty can grow over time. (Image by Jacques Gaimard
I was recently given two hand-me-down cast iron skillets. Apparently, when you have a glass cooktop, heavy cast iron might scratch it. So, lucky me!
The skillets were kinda rusty and yucky when I received them, but I dutifully followed the instructions for seasoning that I found somewhere on the Internet. Voilà! I couldn’t believe how beautiful they were when I took them out of the oven. They were like new.
The seemingly magical renewal of this cookware exceeded my expectations and got me thinking about the ways in which we humans take care of ourselves (or don’t). When it comes to nutrition, sleep, exercise, and attention, we can get into patterns of behavior that don’t serve us well. Sometimes, we eat food that doesn’t sustain us, stay up too late reading and watching things that drain our energy, and we engage in activities and relationships that don’t benefit us or cause us active harm.
When we’re young, we might be able to get away with these things with no visible evidence. Over time, however, our habits catch up with us and our lack of well-being begins to show. We don’t feel so great, either.
The good news is that we always have a choice. Every day, we have the opportunity to make decisions that can lead us toward a healthy body and mind. Healthy food, adequate sleep, fresh air, good exercise, and thoughtful choices about the media we consume can begin to restore us to a more vibrant state of being.
I go through phases where making these kinds of good choices is really difficult. I eat food out of convenience or comfort, stay up too late, and spend too much time sitting around. It can be hard to shift back toward health, but by making small changes and expanding from there, I can correct my habits. I’m rewarded every time I do: I feel better and I have a more positive outlook.
Of course, no matter how well we take care of ourselves, the years will still show. If we’re lucky, we’ll wind up with wrinkles, sagging skin, and all the scars, calluses, aches, and pains that come from using our bodies to pursue a rich and fulfilling life. But we don’t have to be haggard and drawn. Our old age might be like the beautiful patina of bronze or leather, becoming more distinctive over time.
Just like the cast iron, which reacts to its environment, we can react to ours to conserve or stimulate our energy and vitality. We might not benefit from slathering ourselves in oil and subjecting ourselves to high temperatures, but there are other ways to care for our patinas, so to speak. Every day, we can enjoy the magic of good food, fresh air, and a good night’s sleep to bring us back to our best selves. We can surround ourselves with people who make our lives better. We can seek fulfilling work and joyful experiences. It all adds up, and it all becomes a part of who we are and the face we show to the world.
