"Mirror, mirror on the wall..."

You can't ask this girl these question very often:

Since you have asked, I will have to be very honest with you, but I must warn you that you have opened a Pandora's box...

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Starting with the first part of this thesis contest: comes the prerequisite, which is standing in front of the mirror, and doing so on a daily basis. Well, I'm no longer in college, but this practice used to be a daily routine - scrutinizing every detail, sometimes even changing the hairstyle at the last minute, and subtle accessorizing, as much as was permitted.

Then came the university - the same routine but with a more aggressive approach: matching, accessorizing, a little lip gloss, rings, and everything else that was within the limits.

And in the end would come the customary inquiry: 'Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the most beautiful of all?' The mirror, most of the time, would nod yes with a wink. And when it didn't give the desired reply, well, you (mirror) don't want to mess with this girl. Because she would do anything to get that yes. Ah, those mindless teenage years! But I wouldn't change a thing about them, even if given the chance to...

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Now what do I do in the present? This is trickiest part of the answer but rest assured, it will be an honest one:

Three parts of my physique that I like

I don't have a full-size mirror, so most of the time it's my face that I see in the mirror, and that too not on a regular basis. If I have to look at my whole physique, then I stand on a chair and look into my dressing mirror. That is usually when I have to check the fitting of my newly stitched dress or to check if one of my previous ones still fits aptly.

• My hands because they're like old friends, always reliable.

• My eyes - they're the windows to my soul, and also the perfect canvas for nailing that winged liner.

• I can't quite decide on a third thing, but let's go with my hair on those magical good hair days.

Three parts of my physique that I don't like

_{Edit: my eyes}

• My eyes, when they attempt to deceive me, but I know better.

• My hands have a habit of playing best friends with my eyes, not letting me look into them for long. They tend to cover them.

• And of course, my hair on those utterly ridiculous bad hair days.

And YES, I completely ignore my waist line... And pretend that I'm petite like the good old days. LOL

What you DON'T like, can you change it? What are you doing to achieve it?

I don't like when my eyes lie to me. And definitely not my hands when they try to cover them up. And my hair when they try to misbehave.

Can you change it??? NO - THEY ARE AS STUBBORN AS THEY COME!

Yes, I keep trying to change them, especially my hair. I cover my greys and I've even tried keratin treatment, but they have a mind of their own. So they do as they please.

As for my waist, I've purchased an air fryer. I'll definitely have a separate post in it's honour (it's half written, but then I saw this contest post, and my brain like my other body parts chose to have a mind of its own). And also most of the time, I ignore my waist completely. Have you ever heard the saying, "Out of sight, out of mind"?

Finally, what is your relationship like with the person you see in the mirror?

Really, who came up with this contest idea? It's like they have no mercy...

But I pledged to be honest... So I can define this relationship as a love-hate one. But believe me, it has less to do with my physique; it's more of a deep emotional connection that comes to light when I look into the mirror. I hate myself in the mirror for all the times I felt that I couldn't or didn't stand up for myself, for all the times I was unfair to someone, for those times I misunderstood my kids... The list is quite long.

And I love my physique self when I look into the mirror the most, for coming this far, for being able to raise three beautiful kids, for everything that I'm still able to do with my body. And I'm utterly thankful for it, for not giving up - even after the near-death experiences.

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I could probably write a whole thesis on this topic, but I think I've already surpassed the word limit. So, alas, I'll bid you adieu. Thanks a bunch for sticking with me this far! :) And to the organizers for this self-reflecting experience.

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_{All pictures are my property, unless otherwise indicated.}

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_{I invite @event-horizon, @beyondhersmile to participate in the contest}