Thursday, August 20, 2009

Beauty...




It's true that we don't know what we've got until we lose it, but it's also true that we don't know what we've been missing until it arrives.

I have a 13 year old who has been blessed with FAR too much hair. As you can see in his photos - he is overly gifted in the follicular department. Do you think he appreciates this great blessing...well of course not! He will not appreciate this massive mound of hair he has that is just the perfect color, is thick and luxurious and curls just naturally until he loses every stinkin strand.

I too, at one point in my youth had long locks that were shiny and naturally golden.
I took my tresses for granted and wish I had them back. Age has taken a toll on my natural beauty and it takes far too much effort now to reclaim the things of the past.


Don't get me wrong. I love to look good and desire to feel beautiful. I just have come to accept things that mother nature has dealt me. I try not to be so harsh on myself and try to cut myself a break every now and then. I am not the girl that has to "put on her face" before going out to the market to fetch the milk. I usually do not have makeup on and when people see me with it on they grab their chest and act like they may faint dead away. "Wow...is that YOU!?" "You look SO different with makeup on." they chirp.

What does this mean...exactly.

I mean all joking aside is this just an offhanded way of saying - "Holy Cow - you need to wear make-up more often! You look like crap otherwise!"

Perhaps. Oh well... It is what it is.

I guess I am okay in my skin. I have accepted that I am over 40. I may not LOOK beautiful to everyone, but if I attempt to keep myself up I FEEL good.

For example, my eyesight has gone and I have to wear glasses to see. I mean who wants to go around running into things in all reality? I know I can wear contacts to be more attractive, and I do think I will get some again. Not so much for the aspect of being more attractive, but for practicality purposes. While taking photos it is a hassle when my glasses steam up from my eyeball getting all hot and sweaty. I am left with a smudge on my glasses and I am forever grabbing the hem of my tee or dress to clean them. Not my idea of ease.

I try to make life easier for the people who are forced to look at me and see me on a regular basis. I will not be the one to "let herself go" and grow a uni brow. As long as I can see to pluck those little eyebrow hairs, I will do so. It is not as if anyone really looks - I mean seriously - how often have you taken note of MY EYEBROWS? But it makes me feel like I am keeping up on the maintenance of my face.

There is so much one can do to "maintain one's face". It can be a full time job. Not only do I try to maintain MY face I have the dubious task of the maintenance of my husband's eyebrows, and ear hair. YUK - I know - but it is a fact that men do grow hair there when they get older. Why let a forest grow? I feel it is my duty as his partner joined by matrimony to assist him in his upkeep. After all I do not like staring at a hairy clump that could easily be mistaken for a small animal perched on the entry of his ear canal! Then there is my 18 and 13 year old son's that need help in the UNI BROW department. Sheesh - who would have thought? Being a wife and mother would turn out so glamorous? I know...if you are a woman - you will be checking your man's ears for hair tonight - and if you are a man - you know YOU WILL be checking the mirror for hairy ear pests - and hopefully exterminating them ASAP!

Don't even get me started on the issue of body hair. Why is it that so many places grow it and we try every product and device there is to remove it. It is like farming.
Mowing and weeding endless fields. Let me tell you - the one thing you DON'T want to do is let it go. For once you do - there will be hell to pay when you have to mow again!

My hats off to those of you who can afford waxing and laser treatments.
I have almost been seriously injured trying to shave in the shower. I won't go in to details ( just for you Mark and Susi ) but you can imagine that the daily grind of shaving can pose a hazard or two, especially when one is in a hurry.

Enough about that. I guess it comes down to the old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Some of us behold more than others and I am fine with that.

I am me, Just Janean. If people do not like what they behold when they look at me - they can look at someone else! I mean this will all kindness and respect - wink...wink.

XOXO
Janean