As Others See Us

I don’t think there is a woman around who has a clear picture of what she looks like.  I know when I look in the mirror I am always surprised by ‘what’ I see.  My mental image is completely different than what appears across the bathroom counter from me.  And this semester has been a little difficult for me in that I had to make two self portraits for classes.  I really don’t like to draw figures anyway, much less a picture of myself.  One of my first self portraits I used nouns such as ‘cook, banker, seamstress’ to describe myself as the background and put my face over those words.  In fact, the portrait is now hanging on the craft room door as a “keep out” kind of sign.

Savvy has drawn a picture of me.  And I love it.

  For one thing, she left off my glasses.  Since I have been wearing them since I was 2, I have tended to define myself by my glasses.  (My right eye turns in despite numerous surgeries as a child and I have always been self conscious about my eyes.)  She even makes me like my butt!

We are always our own worse enemy.  We, or at least I, am more critical of myself than anyone else can be.  So it is really nice to see ourselves through another’s eyes.  And to know we aren’t near as bad as we thought we were. 

 

(It’s also nice to know that I have a talented and artistic daughter too.  Texter ain’t shabby in that department either.)