Me In The Mirror

Hello again, dear visitors! 

With all the technology available to everyone these days I’m surprised they still have “Picture Day” at schools.  But they do and what an event it is!  A time when children are dressed in varying degrees of finery; for future success, for fun or sport, and for hopefully long enough to have the pictures taken! Thankfully, for me these days it’s simply a time to reflect.

An uneven line of blinding light blazed through a gap in mother’s heavy drapes.  I stood for a time in her room, enraptured by the lingering scent of her perfume.  On her dresser was an interesting assortment of make-up tubes and cases.  She was beautiful, I thought as I gazed at my four year-old self in the mirror. I would be beautiful too, I decided as butterflies fluttered in my stomach.

For “Picture Day” mother had (forcibly) dressed me in a bright yellow dress that flared like an upside down umbrella and made me itch all over, but she had given me gleaming white patent leather shoes which I adored. Now which of these would make me beautiful? I wondered as I fingered the fascinating cases on mother’s dresser.

Mother had taken the baby across the road to the sitter’s house with strict orders for me not to get in trouble. She would be so proud of me when she came back. I smiled and got lipstick on my teeth. Then mother returned.

“What have you done?” she screeched in the voice of an alien. Every cat in the house ran for cover, including the one on the tall dresser who took the little lamp with him. When the lamp crashed to the floor Mother kicked off her high heels, flinging one clear across the room. This was her way of ‘rolling up her sleeves’.  Uh oh, I thought as the butterflies turned to stones.

I wore a spunky sailor dress for pictures that day, with a little blue hat that matched. I even got to wear the white patent leather shoes, and you know what? I loved it! I smiled so much my face got tired and the photographer even called me beautiful—once—without make-up or an itchy yellow dress!

The memory of Picture Day still comes to mind whenever I catch myself—or anyone else, wondering if they measure up to someone else.  Is it really worth it? After all, we each have something special to offer or show in this world—ourselves!

While confidence and character strength develops as we grow, the younger folks can always benefit from examples depicted in children’s literature. That being foremost in my thoughts today as always, I wholeheartedly recommend a delightful book called “A Lions’ Song” by Kelly Hashway. 

Do you have any “Picture Day” memories to share? Do you agree that pictures have anything to do with character or confidence?

Until again, be well, be happy – and read!