Beauty Isn’t On The Outside…Honest.
Once I pulled all my eyelashes out.
Well, not all of them, just the top ones on my right eye.
I was working at an elementary school in the Special Ed department. Getting ready to head to school one morning I got the eyelash curler, set it on my eyelashes, squeezed, then something happened and my thumb popped and "WAM!" all my eyelashes were gone in one swoop. Can you imagine what was going through my mind?
Immediately, I knew what had happened. I stared at my reflection in the mirror with mouth agape. Then, I stared at the curler full of lashes. Panic started to set in and I thought about running to Walgreen's to grab false eyelashes! I started laughing. Was I so vain that I couldn't go a few days without eyelashes? Nah. I knew the amazing kids I worked with would not let it go unnoticed and it was actually kind of hilarious to watch their expressions. No adult even mentioned it or even gave me a second look, but those kids didn't miss a thing.
A few of my students could tell something was off, but they couldn't really pin what exactly it was. I was quick to tell them what was different. Some of them didn't really understand. They didn't wear make-up anyway so I just kept it simple and we went on with the day. I remember one kiddo, a fifth grader, being concerned. Once I explained to him that it was a silly accident and that I was 100% A-ok, we laughed together and that was that. Laughing about it together was much more fun than if I had covered it up and tried to act if nothing was amiss. I love the hearts of kids before they get tainted with the ugliness that life can bring.
Surprisingly, I vividly remember spending that day giddy. It was like I had a secret and I waited to see if anyone would notice. I'm not sure the grin left my face that whole day.
It just goes to show, people notice more what's inside. How you treat them and how you present yourself, more than what you look like. And it's okay to make mistakes. Getting a bad haircut, turning your hair purple...which is much more acceptable now days than it was when I did it...busting your nose, which I've done recently, or whatever "catastrophic" change to your appearance that may occur, is not the end of the world. Just laugh it off and move on. Focus on the stuff that lasts. (Check out Ecclesiastes! The chapter just after another great read, Proverbs. ) It's important to take care of yourself, sure, but you may as well get used to physical change, your body can't hold up forever!
