One Day You'll Look Back @ This Moment & Laugh

It's a conversation and little piece of wisdom I'll never forget. It goes something like this...

I sat at the edge of my bed, with the 5 ceiling fan bulbs directed over my face. I was holding a hand mirror as I examined the dozens of break outs on my face. I was skating towards a meltdown complete with tears and nasal wailing.

My mother entered the room ensconced in a midnight blue velvet zip up robe. Her short hair stood on its ends from having been reading in bed.

"Isn't it time for bed dear, dear, dearest darling?" she cajoled.

"No." I stated emphatically as I continued to zero in on the blemishes I'd been examining for the last 20 minutes.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't go on like this mom. Nothing is working. I have a date on Friday and look how ugly I look." I wailed as sobs began to choke out any future words that could be muttered.

"Oh dear. You're looking at yourself so closely. Remember it's your character that matters most and not what you look like. You want to be a woman after God's own heart right?" she pleaded.

I only began to sob harder. Her pleading wasn't feeling very helpful. I wanted nothing but clear skin that didn't require daily layers of foundation and concealer. At the time perfect skin seemed to be the answer to all life's problems.

"You don't understand mom! I'm tired of spackling layers of foundation and concealer onto my skin every morning. My skin is all bumpy and it's ruining the way I look". I continued to whine while sobbing.

She paused and looked at me quietly. She pursed her lips together and gazed at me fondly with a smile.

"Oh darling. I remember those days myself. One day, when you're older, you'll look back on these moments and laugh. You'll wonder why something so small could've bothered you so much. As you grow older you realize not to fret about things that will change in time or that you can't change but rather, you come to realize that this too shall pass away...I'd suggest heading to bed. Thankfully make-up is a blessed eraser."

She stroked my head and pulled the covers down from my bed. I obediently lay in bed. Her words were true. In time my skin would clear and looking back I realize I didn't look all that bad.