I took the girls to the grocery store with me last night. I know better, but did it anyway. As a result the tab was much higher than if I’d gone alone. Emily wanted to try new, expensive cereal. Erin asked for sushi. Of course I could have said no, but I’m a pushover when I’m tired (and I was tired). Then, we took a shortcut through the hair aisle and hairdryers were on sale. I bought one because heck, my old one is on its last legs, I don’t buy stuff for myself very often, and I was tired.
So this morning I slept in for an extra 6 minutes and that put me behind schedule. I whipped out the new hairdryer and WOW, it did a much better job. For the first time in nearly a year, I arrived at the office with almost dry hair, and it even looked somewhat styled. From now on, I'm sleeping 6 extra minutes every morning, and it only cost me $15 plus tax for that luxury!
I have little patience with my hair. Typically, I dry it until the top layer looks dry enough and then it air dries the rest of the way. It’s usually not that bad but if it’s windy in the parking lot, sometimes I look in the restroom mirror at work and it looks like I just rolled out of bed. (Where does that expression come from? I never roll out of bed). It's not pretty.
I really don’t spend much time on my looks because it doesn't make much difference. Makeup can only do so much for this face. When my girls get up for school, one spends nearly 90 minutes on her appearance and the other spends about 15 minutes. Both look very nice when they go to school. Of course, they are at the age where they hope boys will pay attention to them. The one who spends 90 minutes says she is homely and it takes a long time to look acceptable. The one who spends 15 believes she is pretty enough and she’s just adding icing to the cake.
I think all my daughters are beautiful, and I hope it’s nothing I’ve said or done that makes any of them feel less than beautiful. When Sarah was about 4 years old, I remember taking her shopping for a dress. It was evening and we were the only customers in the store. Clerks were very helpful and Sarah was pleased to have everyone paying attention to her. Just outside the dressing room, the store had a platform surrounded by 5 mirrors so the customer could see herself from all angles. Sarah tried on many dresses that evening and modeled them in the mirrors. She spent more time looking at herself than looking at the dresses; it was fun to watch her. She would twirl, curtsey, dance, skip in a circle, make faces and look at herself from different angles in each dress. Finally, she set her heart on a dress that I thought was a bit above the acceptable price range. “But Mommy, don’t you think I look beautiful in this dress? Don’t you think this is the most beautiful dress in the world? Don’t you want me to look beautiful?” I caved in and bought the dress.
As for my daughter who believes she is homely, I wonder if she has somehow got that idea from me. As her mother I must somehow be guilty. My girls are all beautiful and I believe that with all my heart and brain. Even if reality is that they are all very plain and homely, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference to me. They are mine and they are perfect (I’m just very possessive and biased like that when it comes to my children).
So this morning I slept in for an extra 6 minutes and that put me behind schedule. I whipped out the new hairdryer and WOW, it did a much better job. For the first time in nearly a year, I arrived at the office with almost dry hair, and it even looked somewhat styled. From now on, I'm sleeping 6 extra minutes every morning, and it only cost me $15 plus tax for that luxury!
I have little patience with my hair. Typically, I dry it until the top layer looks dry enough and then it air dries the rest of the way. It’s usually not that bad but if it’s windy in the parking lot, sometimes I look in the restroom mirror at work and it looks like I just rolled out of bed. (Where does that expression come from? I never roll out of bed). It's not pretty.
I really don’t spend much time on my looks because it doesn't make much difference. Makeup can only do so much for this face. When my girls get up for school, one spends nearly 90 minutes on her appearance and the other spends about 15 minutes. Both look very nice when they go to school. Of course, they are at the age where they hope boys will pay attention to them. The one who spends 90 minutes says she is homely and it takes a long time to look acceptable. The one who spends 15 believes she is pretty enough and she’s just adding icing to the cake.
I think all my daughters are beautiful, and I hope it’s nothing I’ve said or done that makes any of them feel less than beautiful. When Sarah was about 4 years old, I remember taking her shopping for a dress. It was evening and we were the only customers in the store. Clerks were very helpful and Sarah was pleased to have everyone paying attention to her. Just outside the dressing room, the store had a platform surrounded by 5 mirrors so the customer could see herself from all angles. Sarah tried on many dresses that evening and modeled them in the mirrors. She spent more time looking at herself than looking at the dresses; it was fun to watch her. She would twirl, curtsey, dance, skip in a circle, make faces and look at herself from different angles in each dress. Finally, she set her heart on a dress that I thought was a bit above the acceptable price range. “But Mommy, don’t you think I look beautiful in this dress? Don’t you think this is the most beautiful dress in the world? Don’t you want me to look beautiful?” I caved in and bought the dress.
As for my daughter who believes she is homely, I wonder if she has somehow got that idea from me. As her mother I must somehow be guilty. My girls are all beautiful and I believe that with all my heart and brain. Even if reality is that they are all very plain and homely, it wouldn’t make a bit of difference to me. They are mine and they are perfect (I’m just very possessive and biased like that when it comes to my children).
2 comments:
Your girls are beautiful. In that natural way that needs zero enhancement at this point in their lives. Eyes are gorgeous. I imagine make up would simply expand on their looks. They are not homely in the slightest. But too often girls will see something other than what others see no matter what the parent does or says.
I spent the first forty or so years of my life feeling very unattractive - and that is putting it mildly. Now, at 48, I am okay with what I look like but that is only because I know how to control it more.
It takes me 45 minutes every day to present myself to the world. But these days I don't care if people see me "undone" so to speak. That is the difference between being 20 and 48 I think.
Linda – thank you for your kind comments. Around age 50 I accepted that there is really nothing I can do about the face in the mirror unless I’m willing to invest in major plastic surgery, which I’m not. I work in a backoffice cubicle and I’m married – who do I need to impress? But I’m not ready to let myself go all the way to hell yet. :) Now that a career change is in the works, I’m thinking a major appearance upgrade is needed. Nobody will want to hire a frumpy old lady.
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