My dad is a hunter-gatherer. The very unlucky few who have seen my garage, now understand that it is not entirely my fault, but something my dad apprenticed me to do. He loves a bargain, and free on the side of the road is even better. We simply are re-purposing things, and helping to leave a lighter footprint on the environment. (your welcome landfills) Besides, you never know when you are going to need an old rickety bicycle wheel!
Last week I arrived home to find a few treasures by my front door. There were some folding chairs, which I passed on to my son, a couple end tables, which I promptly cut, re-figured and created into a makeup table for my daughter, and a makeup mirror. And then it happened. I looked into the mirror.
This was no ordinary mirror. This was a 5000x magnified enemy! I could see way more than I ever thought lived on my face. My first thought was "WHO TOOK MY FACE AND REPLACED IT WITH THIS ONE!" But.... it was mine. Every wrinkled, sagging, chin haired, sun spotted blemish. In fact I saw so much peach fuzz on my face, that I believed in Bigfoot for the first time!!
Where was the warning label picture??? You know, like the one on the hair dryer (don't dry your hair in the bathtub) duh. Or the one on the electric outlet (don't stick a bobby pin in the light socket) umm ok. They needed one on this mirror! They needed a picture of a 50 year old mom with five kids looking in the mirror and crying her eyes out!
Just as I am about to collapse from a state of shock into the nearest chair, a thought flickers through my brain. All these fine lines are like a map of my journey, forged from worry, concern, excitement and joy. The deep creases that are on both sides of my mouth, are a talisman for all the times my kids made me laugh, a real belly laugh. The lines chiseled on my forehead are from all the times I raised an eyebrow at the kids. (this is my preferred method of getting my kids in line.) The brown patches of sunspots are a reminder of the numerous, marvelous hours spent on the beach in Mexico with the kids. My face, I realize, is like a beautiful scrapbook. A keepsake of all the events tragic and marvelous, that made me who I am.
I set the mirror aside. I love that my life has been so full. Full of adventures and a life well lived. But there is only so much reminiscing a girl can take. From now on, I will just take my glasses off and stand back from the bathroom mirror with the lights off. After-all, it has been working for me so far.