Last night my sister and I talked over dinner about how it is becoming harder to look in the mirror. It is an exercise I try to do with compassion, but often wish for a dimmer switch.
On my way home, I drove past Victoria Secret in Union Square and had three bigger-than-life images, blond, all-American, dimple clad, full lipped, cleavage baring beauties staring me squarely in the eyes. For the first time, I looked at these industry standards of beauty and realized they were closer to my daughter's age than mine.
It put me into a slight tail spin of panic . . . sadness . . . depression. And then there was the invitation.
How am I going to embrace beauty in this next chapter of life?
We obviously need to redefine beauty as we age. And embrace it. Maybe for the first time.
Our reflection has been a constant companion from the time we learned how to curl our hair to covering our roots. It’s an exercise of seeing our beauty between our blemishes, finding our unique stamp of feminine, and receiving each new line as a gift of life lived.
As much as I want to refocus my lens, I really want to invite in a new reflection of beauty. It can best be seen from our connection with ourselves and the world, rather than from our mirror.
It's an exercise that would serve my daughters as much as myself.
How does your beauty come to the surface? Through your laughter perhaps? Your love? Your strong sense of self? Your passion? Your ability to help others feel their own?
I invite you to see your beauty touching the world around you. It’s a powerful reflection.
As you grow in your awareness of your own beauty, hold up a mirror to help others catch a glimpse of their own.
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