We live in a society that associates beauty with youth and tells us that the older person is less attractive. Celebrities undergo cosmetic surgery even in their twenties to escape the stigma of ageing. Yet, with an increasing number of older bodies around us, attitudes to what constitutes beauty are being refined.

The naturally aged body presents a calm and dignified alternative to the apparent perfection that appears in so much of our media, much of which is false or simulated.

Perhaps with age comes acceptance of our less than perfect bodies – a realisation that this is who I am and that’s OK. Older bodies may not have the elasticity and smoothness of youth. They are beautiful in a different way – one that reflects a lifetime of personal growth and development.

We do not have to hide our wrinkles and other bodily signs of age – they show that we have survived and tell the story of a life lived. It has been said, with insight, that “we are born copies yet die originals”.