These days, I find myself spending more time in front of the mirror. Where I used to just pass by, I now linger for a while.

Like I'm looking at a stranger's face, searching for traces of someone who once sparkled.

In my twenties, I was someone who changed the atmosphere wherever I went.

It was natural for someone's gaze to follow me, and honestly, I knew how to enjoy it a bit.

In photos, I was always in the center, my laughter was light, and my hair sparkled. I thought it would last forever.

No, I didn't even need to think about the word forever. The present was so full.

They say time is fair. But living through it, I've realized that fairness doesn't come with the same weight for everyone.

Someone who was ordinary from the start has little to lose. They just live as they always have.

But for someone who once shone, aging isn't just a change; it's a bit of a disappointment.

The mirror takes something away little by little every day, and I check that every day.

The more glamorous the memory, the further it feels from now. The memories don't fade, but the body does.

Sometimes I pull out old photos. The woman in them didn't even know what she had.

It's a bit regrettable now that she spent her youth without realizing she had it.

Someone once said, at least I had those times, right? That's true.

But those who have never had it don't realize there's nothing to miss.

Still, these days, I'm slowly learning.

That the space left by light isn't just darkness.

That light drew attention but didn't actually let me look at myself.

During the time everyone was looking at me, I never looked at myself.

Now, in a place where no one looks back, I finally get to sit face to face with myself.

Wrinkles are marks of expressions, and cloudy eyes are proof of having endured much.

I can't say it's not sad.

I've just learned to neatly fold that sadness and put it away in a drawer.

Instead of tormenting me, the glamorous memories now tell the story of a woman who clearly lived well.

Light doesn't stay. It's light because it doesn't stay.

It took me a long time to accept this... but since I learned it, even if late, I feel that's enough.