Even more surprising was that the smartly dressed lady pushing her grocery cart seemed oblivious to the curler in her hair. She appeared caught up in her thoughts and her demeanor was of a woman on a mission.
It reminded me how vain I have been at times. I’ve been so caught up with my appearance that there were times in my life leaving the house without my lipstick on wasn’t an option. Even the simple chore of taking out the garbage required hair fixed and make-up applied.
Silly, isn’t it? Who we are doesn’t change because of external factors.
Ironically, a few months ago I completely surprised myself by driving to Newark International Airport without a stitch of make-up on and without my hair perfectly coifed. A very dear friend who’d I’d not seen in seven years was arriving on a late flight. Therefore, I decided the sensible thing to do was shower, wash my hair, and cleanse and cream my face before leaving for the airport. That I could even do that revealed I’d come a long way in my journey of life from exercising vanity to knowing my value. It was the latter that gave me the confidence to not worry what people thought or how I might appear. I intrinsically knew that my friend loved me and accepted me whether my lipstick and blush were painted on my face or not.
The funny thing is, when Cheryl and I became friends forty-two years ago she had long dark hair that she wore in a braid down her back, and I had long reddish brown hair. When her plane landed I had drifted back in time with my thoughts to the good ole days and was almost expecting to see that person I remembered from long ago with the dark hair. She was almost expecting to see a redhead. We both almost missed recognizing each other. In reality, Cheryl’s hair today is short and curly, and is a beautiful shade of silver white. And, I am blond. When we did spot each other and embraced we were laughing at ourselves and crying as a myriad of memories engulfed us from days gone by. It was tearful yet joyful reunion.
Maybe I’m more like that grandmother with the curler on her forehead than I thought. You reach a certain age and what people think just doesn’t matter. Life teaches you to find your courage, walk with grace, and embrace the day with a smile!
Please revisit my blog from time to time and share it with your friends and family.
Until next time, Jennifer
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