Looking for the Face in the Mirror


I have a friend who once told me about a dream she'd had.
In the dream, she looked into a mirror



and much to her dismay,
there was no "her" reflected.

She was gone.
Vanished.
Invisible.


She was absent from her own life.
At least, that's what her dream told her.

One of the risks of being female in contemporary society
is losing our authentic selves.

When we let the expectations of others dictate how we live our lives,
we become invisible.

When we don't take credit for our unique gifts,
when we don't use them and nourish them and celebrate them,
we discredit ourselves.

When we are so concerned about what makes others happy
that we can no longer remember how to create our own happiness,
we are lost.

There are so many ways in which
to vanish from our own lives.

Are you absent from your own life?
Why did you decide to pull a disappearing act?

What efforts are you making to become
PRESENT
and take up your allotted space in the world?

Comments

~JarieLyn~ said…
Meri, this is such a wonderful post and so many women fall into the trap of losing themselves. I'm just now beginning to discover my authenticity. It's still vague, but I am doing more for myself than I ever have before.
December 19, 2009 at 5:03 PM
Anonymous said…
I was just saying this to a friend yesterday. that there is so much else happening around us and so much that we have to attend to, that we begin to sometimes feel like another cog in the machine... shouldnt we be simply the drivers?
December 20, 2009 at 12:25 AM
ELK said…
meri this is me sometimes...everyone I suppose, thoughtful post
December 21, 2009 at 5:32 AM
Joy said…
This is a great reminder that every woman, and especially every mother needs to peek at from time to time. I think especially when you have children you are more apt to lose yourself.
December 21, 2009 at 2:12 PM
Relyn Lawson said…
That is the most beautiful image. Where were you??

And, oh, such wise words. I think it takes real courage to live as your true self all day, every day.
December 24, 2009 at 5:29 AM
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