The Sum of All My Parts

First off, a little eye candy because from this point on it sure isn't "eye candy" so be forewarned, chicks!! *Wink* In fact, it could be just downright scary for some of ya! Just something that hangs in my office that I made a few years ago. I tried selling it but got no takers on it, so does that say something about my "selling" skills because we all know that being the highest paid woman in a very top Fortune 500 company my "working" skills were top notch. Now I'm a simple housewife living the retired life out in Idaho...one blog at a time, slouching around in pants and t-shirts instead of designer dresses and suits and not coiffing th' hair on a daily basis. *Happily!*...
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I've been wanting to do this post ever since some girls in our church ward had their pictures done for their senior year. Plus I've seen this talked about much on the blogs and certainly in society today with the "Magazine Mentality" of what beauty is.

A friend I have is a photographer. She's as enamored of it as I am, but she's taken it up a couple of levels and is trying to make money at it. She's very good but beats herself to death over what isn't just perfect. Right, S***y?! She has taken some senior pictures of some young women, and I've seen them on her blog. She has done an amazing job but I had to laugh at a couple of the antics of the girls. The question asked of Stacy by some of the girls is "does it make me look fat?" What??? They look "natural." They're as thin as rails as it is. I'd be asking "does it make me look like someone a guy would like for the mother of his children?" These girls have a LOT to learn.

Many years ago I wasn't happy with lots of things about my body: very slender ankles, nose had a bump in it, arms were too long, wished I was taller than my 5' 4 3/4", smaller chest...yes, I know, but if you've got it, you don't want it! We're never happy with our bodies initially.

One day it hit me though: I am what I am. I like myself. When did I start liking the way I looked? I can't remember a specific point but just one day I realized I was "OKAY" and from that point on I liked how I looked. Oh, we can all lose a little weight at some points in our lives but I never worried about it. I truly didn't have a problem with the way I looked.

So I've composed this blog to put it all into perspective. None of those girls will ever see this blog and I'm not mentioning my friend's blog so these girls will never be embarrassed.

These are my eyes. Oh, they're not gloriously exquisite like some of the Hollywood stars or magazine models but they are my eyes and they've never had plastic surgery. Let's call them "natural." Okay, so I use mascara and in this photo it looks a bit messy, but I promised myself I'd post whatever I came up with today. AND I cannot for the life of me get false eyelashes on them! I've tried but I waste money every few years trying again. The color of them is green. And the left one droops slightly, which truly wasn't noticed by me until I reached my senior year in high school. I just never noticed it! That's gray in the eyebrow also. If you look closely enough you'll see the wrinkles and the epicanthic fold is what it should be for a woman of my age–almost 70 years of age. Yikes! Hmmmmm....maybe even better. ;-) And my eyebrows are about half gray. In fact, that could be them hanging in my eyes! *Smirk*

My nose has a "bump" on the top of it. I can't show you any better than this but I tried. Have I ever wished it was perfect? Sure I have, but not enough concerned to get under th' knife, chicks! Besides, I had it when I married Love Bunny and I'm guessing he's gotten used to it by now and still loves me anyway. You will notice the little peach fuzz on my nose also. Very fine peach fuzz but it's there. Plus you can see the wrinkles on my inner eye better on this one.

My mouth is extremely small, although some would dispute this fact. ;-) They are by no means exquisite or full or plump lips and you can see my lines around them.

My hair. No, it's not frosted; it's gray...commingled with the ash brown. Although, my daughter and granddaughter "enhance" the color of their hair, I love gray hair. I don't want to spend the time nor the money to keep it colored and no matter what the beauticians say they have never, ever been able to match the color of my hair. I get a lot of compliments on it and always have even though I cannot imagine or understand why. Truly, I can't. And I do NOT fuss with the hairdresser except for cuts and perms. I froufrou my own hair, not some other person.

Nothing is perfect on this face...NOTHING. But the final result is one with which I can live. It's not beautiful or lovely (LB might just might disagree but I'm a realist). Also you don't see the eyebrow hairs I have to pluck under my brows. *Sigh*..... I hate plucking those things. A face only a mother or Love Bunny could love, but that's enough for me!

Finally, just let me say to you young women, teenagers, moms and mature women, seek not for outer beauty, seek for your inner beauty and strength. You're going to need it in the road ahead. Be happy with how you look and don't lust after some model in a magazine whose photo has been PhotoShopped out of reality. Be happy and grateful for what you have. Truly, you are all beautiful.
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