Love What you See in the Mirror
I was looking in the mirror the other day and started noticing the changes I’m going through as I enter my 42nd year. Long gone are the days when I used to be skinny, when I bared my middle without a thought. Although I’m not complaining, thanks to two good sets of genes I do pretty well “for my age” what I really connect to is this: “What did I see when I looked in the mirror when I was lean and young. Did I ever think of myself as pretty?”
Due to a set of life circumstances, I’d have to say: mostly not. Both my mother and sister were these glamorous drop-dead gorgeous types that garnered and kept most of that attention. My mother from birth. My sister morphed into it during her later years in high school. So, I was labeled the “smart one” the “outgoing one” the “affectionate one”. I had my share of boyfriends and boys with crushes on me (the “smart ones”). But I never thought they liked me because I was cute, I always assumed it was because of something else – my personality, for instance. Although in and of itself, an excellent experience, I certainly learned to value those things about me that are more lasting, I can’t help but feel bad for the teenager, the 20-something that would look in the mirror and see only her personality.
How often now do you wish for something you had in the past? A less wrinkled forehead, flatter stomach, smoother skin…
And what today do you not appreciate that you will find yourself longing for in the future? Think about it. There are wonderful things about you this very moment that are being obscured by you constantly looking backwards at what you miss, and here’s the kicker: that you didn’t even appreciate then! What a waste of time and energy. Instead value all that you have in the present because if you think your forehead is wrinkled now, Sweetie, I hate to say this but eventually, it’s going to get worse and all you did when it was better was complain. Look in the mirror and love what you see. Ten years from now you’ll be glad you did.
Due to a set of life circumstances, I’d have to say: mostly not. Both my mother and sister were these glamorous drop-dead gorgeous types that garnered and kept most of that attention. My mother from birth. My sister morphed into it during her later years in high school. So, I was labeled the “smart one” the “outgoing one” the “affectionate one”. I had my share of boyfriends and boys with crushes on me (the “smart ones”). But I never thought they liked me because I was cute, I always assumed it was because of something else – my personality, for instance. Although in and of itself, an excellent experience, I certainly learned to value those things about me that are more lasting, I can’t help but feel bad for the teenager, the 20-something that would look in the mirror and see only her personality.
How often now do you wish for something you had in the past? A less wrinkled forehead, flatter stomach, smoother skin…
And what today do you not appreciate that you will find yourself longing for in the future? Think about it. There are wonderful things about you this very moment that are being obscured by you constantly looking backwards at what you miss, and here’s the kicker: that you didn’t even appreciate then! What a waste of time and energy. Instead value all that you have in the present because if you think your forehead is wrinkled now, Sweetie, I hate to say this but eventually, it’s going to get worse and all you did when it was better was complain. Look in the mirror and love what you see. Ten years from now you’ll be glad you did.
posted by Christa Ojeda @ 11:12 AM
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