Outside of teaching a few days a week, I work from home and
my day starts with letting the dogs out, putting coffee on, reading the paper,
feeding the chickens, watering the garden and vacuuming the floors. It’s
not until then that I wash my face, comb my hair and dress for the day. Sometimes I don’t put on makeup because once
my husband leaves for work it’s just me and the dogs; why bother?
I’ll tell you why. Lately I’ve caught sight of myself in the
mirror mid-afternoon and realize that I’m not so naturally pretty anymore! In fact, what I see frightens me: my hair is either
flat or frizzy, my eyes have circles under the droops, and the lines in my face
are quite prevalent. Often I’ll just
shudder and leave the room; but sometimes I just don’t even recognize the face
as my own and if it’s close to the time the husband is to arrive, I make
myself put on a pretty face.
Yes! I can be pretty if I want to. When I am going someplace I usually put some makeup on and brush my
hair, but I admit, I could be one of those WalMart People pictures that go
viral on the Internet.
(I have the perfect picture to illustrate this but my vanity
won’t allow it, not even for the sake of my writing!)
Maybe I better
reassess my morning routine.
I have friends who get out of bed in the morning, spend a
looonnnggg time in the bathroom and emerge Cover Girl perfect, hair in place
and makeup applied. I used to think, “What a waste of time.” Now, I think I better follow suit. I once had a boss who, upon hearing me say
that I don’t do over-the-top personal maintenance reply, “You better, Lisa. Your husband is a very handsome man.” Is she right?
Will my guy tire of “Morning Me” and trade me in for a model that puts
more into looking good right out of the gate?
You know what, though?
I have the best husband. He made
me listen to a song by Rascal Flatts because he said it reminded him of me:
Starin' at you takin'
off your makeup
Wondering why you even put it on
I know you think you do but, baby, you don't need it
Wish that you could see what I see it when it's gone
Wondering why you even put it on
I know you think you do but, baby, you don't need it
Wish that you could see what I see it when it's gone
Fast Cars and Freedom, 2005
It is me that has to be satisfied with the face that looks
back at me. I think I’ll start my days
with ME first, then take care of all the other “gotta-do’s.” Then it will be me saying, “You know what, Lisa? You are
a beautiful woman. Take care of yourself
and the rest will happen naturally….. and gracefully.”
Yes. I can be pretty
if I want to. And I am.
3 comments:
I admit I don''t like what I see in the mirror any more, even with the makeup on. I do feel secure that my hub is not going anywhere - we're totally commited to each other "regardless", but I "feel" better with my makeup on...Getting old really sucks when the looks fade. . .You bring up good thought-provoking thoughts. While health is a number 1 priority, looks is a not-so-distant second. Enjoy it while you've got it, GF!
Those lyrics are a sweet compliment - getting older is better than the alternative they say... ;)
Yup, John is a keeper - what a sweet thing for him to do! I've never been one for makeup, at least not since high school when other people's opinions meant EVERYTHING. Usually, I'm okay with how I look but, every now and then, I look in the mirror too early in the morning and I have to remind myself that my inside is still gorgeous! :-)
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