I can tell you that the reflection in my mirror is not me. I mean the woman who lives in my mirrors is not the woman I see from inside this body. I suppose YOU see the woman that lives in my mirror. She is much older than I. She has wrinkles that I may one day have, but not this day. Her eyes are very old. They look very tired and used up. Mine have a lot left to see and they aren't tired. So my point is, reflections lie.
I wish I could say that time has been kind to my face. I kinda envy people with smooth cheeks and foreheads. Eyes that have not filled out so much that the lashes are hidden without mascara, are something I had once; something I don't have now. There isn't enough makeup in my bathroom to make me look 30 or 40 or 50 anymore, but I still put it on. I accept the turkey neck and the road map face and even the filled up eyelids. However, I choose not to spend too much time actually looking at that reflection because it only makes me sad. I don't want to be reminded of my years. I don't want to think about how I look and seeing that woman, I have to acknowledge I am showing every single one of my years.
But reflections are also a very good thing. We need to know how the world sees us. We need to know that who we are inside does indeed change who we are outside. The face the world sees changes as people get to know us. One who might seem very old and very decrepit at first glance, might well be the most beautiful and capable person you have ever met. You will know that only after spending time with that person. The opposite can also be true. Someone who carries a beauty everyone admires may be a despicable character and you will know that only when time shows that to you. What we are, establishes our beauty to the world and also our value. I believe beauty is as beauty does. I know that once I get to know someone, their being does reflect in their face. Goodness of heart makes one more beautiful and meanness detracts from one's beauty.
Reflections are only physical. Physical is only a facade. I'm for doing the best you can do with what you have and smiling a lot. That also seems to bring out the beauty, don't you think?
Thanks Jo. I am thankful for all my years. No matter what I look like.
ReplyDeleteyep, me 2. Thanks for stopping by!
DeleteWhat a beautiful post. I had never thought about it, but you are so right. The longer you know someone the more beautiful they become because you get to know the person within. You see the whole picture inside and out. I love this!! And you know, I will may see a different me in the mirror the next time I look thanks to your post.
ReplyDeleteKathy
http://gigglingtruckerswife.blogspot.com
I hope you see the woman I see when I look at you. The giggling, cheerful and delightful girl with a gigantic heart. ♥
DeleteThey say, a smile is the best accessory a woman can wear. And that wrinkles are beautiful for they show traces of where smile have been :)
ReplyDeleteEnjoyed reading this. Every woman should read this :)
I like that! It's easier to believe on someone else's face, though. :)
DeleteThank you very much. Feel free to share, if you'd like. ♥
A beautiful post Jo, every word so true. And the next time I look at my reflection I'll have a smile on my face and remember your words. You are a beautiful inspiration.
ReplyDeleteI love the definition of beauty by Audrey Hepburn ..
"The beauty of a woman is not in a facial mole, but true beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It is the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows, and the beauty of a woman with passing years only grows!"
Thank you Suzy. Audrey is a very wise woman! I don't know if I agree, but maybe on someone other than me, I might see that more clearly. ♥
DeleteI love the movie Shallow Hal. It sums this up beautifully. Those of us with young looking skin paid our dues in our younger years with gazillion pimples. Actually, I'm fifty, and I still get them but look 16 as a result. ;)
ReplyDeleteCatch My Words
http://joycelansky.blogspot.com
Looking 16 at 50 doesn't sound bad to me! I have always thought I looked older than I am. Even as a young teen, people guessed me to be older. It was fun then, not such a picnic now!
DeleteLucky Joyce! ♥
It is a shame the way the world beats women up with the whole worshiping of youth. Young women may be easy on the eyes, but having dated a few I find that their beauty is the outer reaches of their character. It's not their fault that they don't get my jokes, they have been taught they don't have to. It's not their fault they haven't read anything more substantial than People Magazine, or have a vocabulary limited to 500 words. It's not their fault that a piece of plastic and metal in their hand is more important to them than a living breathing person sitting right in front of them, that is what they know. I say give me a woman that knows Steven Tyler from Toys in the Attic on a cassette deck and not as a judge on American Idol. Hhahaha
ReplyDeleteWell, recognizing Steven Tyler doing Toys in the Attic is much more about maturity, shall we say and for me the aging is fine, but the wrinkles and sags are a bit harder to accept!
DeleteIt is life and I suppose one day I'll be comfortable in my un-ironed skin and my puffy parts, but just now, I'd like to look a little more like I feel.
Oh, and I feel maybe 37 ish. Some days 40. ♥
Jo--you said this so wonderfully!! Wow. Reflections only see the surfacey stuff--not the inside--sure it can show us one thing--but not the whole thing. You sure have a way with words :) Cheers, Jenn.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jenn. I appreciate your kindness. I also appreciate your beauty. ♥
DeleteI know it is a terrible cliche but I really do not view people by how they dress, or their age, or weight. It's their spirit that attracts me and what I find most beautiful about them. I couldn't tell you what someone was wearing when I first met them, but I could tell you what their personality was like. If outer appearance does have any part of how I see someone upon first meeting with them then it would be their smile and laugh and only because it expresses the genuine character of a person. I hate when others make fun of another's appearance, it really bothers me. Especially if it's about weight and that's been the case since I was young and couldn't gain a pound if I ate everything in sight.
ReplyDeleteMy sister struggled with being overweight for almost all of her life and still does and it broke my heart to see someone make fun of her for it. What would really kill me inside was to see the strong facade she would have to put on to pretend like she wasn't hurt. Needless to say, I got into a lot of fights back in those days.
If my friends and family saw themselves the way I saw them, they would be super conceited. lol That goes for you too, I think you're stunning!
I agree for the most part with everything you say, my only difference is that I think we each take responsibility for how we respond to hurtful words from idiots. I have chosen over the years to not respond at all. To accept that some people are so insecure that my flaws make them feel superior and that they need to point them out is THEIR flaw and it is much larger than mine.
DeleteWeight is of such little importance, too much or too little, when looking at your life as a whole. As long as you are maintaining your health, weight is insignificant.
♥