Mirrors

Mirrors, the windows to one’s self, people say. I’ve always wondered what that meant as I stare at myself because I don’t like what I see every time I look through it. The scars, acne, stretch marks, folds of my stomach, and all my insecurities scream at such a high pitch it be-comes unbearable. I often hear them as a soft buzz next to my ear, but whenever I see my reflection, they get louder every time. My ears begin to ring as I continue to stare at myself, allowing myself to submit to the negativity, that is until I notice a crack at the corner of my eye. I gingerly graze over the line with ease, but more cracks begin to appear even with the slightest touch. I then noticed that the voices had ceased, which caused me to become curious. As I put more pressure on the mirror, cracks shot out in every direction creating a fractured image of myself.

That was when the first piece fell.

If it wasn’t for the lower volume of the voices, I probably wouldn’t have heard it drop, but there it was. I picked up the broken piece and examined the mirror to see where it had fallen from, and I was intrigued as I saw that what should be the back of a mirror, but instead a hollow hole. With the voices at only a whisper, I felt courage well up inside me like a current, and I knew what I needed to do. I pushed harder against the glass, and just as I expected, the mirror shattered into tiny fragments. Just as I expected, I lunged towards the person in front of me and embraced them. As I tightened my grip, I took a second to look at who I was holding, and it was me.

I now understood what that saying meant; it didn’t mean that mirrors reflect who you are, but show what you believe about yourself, and the only way to break that barrier, break that image, is through self-love. If you learn to love who you are, the mirror won’t be a window to negativity, but instead positivity, and you’ll see the image change. Self-love is so important because, without it, we wouldn’t be able to see who we are, only an image of who we perceive we are, and most of the time, it isn’t our authentic selves. So, give yourself time to reflect on what you love about yourself, and take time to embrace yourself before looking in a mirror. With that, I bring forward a question to all of you: Why is it that we allow ourselves to believe we are something we are not?