Learning To Fall In Love With My Selfie

A friend of mine recently told me I had lips like Kerry Washington, which I immediately dismissed as insane because hello, Kerry Washington’s lips are full and beautiful and everything I’ve ever hoped for when applying lipstick.

But I realized that somewhere along the way, avoiding mirrors became a hidden skill of mine. I so rarely spend time looking at myself that it’s not uncommon for someone to tap me on the shoulder at 5 p.m. and point out a sticker that my kids stuck to my forehead before school. (This is a real life story.)

When I get up in the morning, my focus tends to be on my kids, their breakfast, backpacks being packed, and making it to their school on time. I don’t think about my clothes or what statement I’m trying to make. I just get up, throw on some decent, clean clothes and go about my day.

Whenever a photo needs to be taken, I’m more likely the one to offer to take the photo, rather than stick my arm out for a group selfie.

When I look at photos I have of my twenties, I’m only in a few. As I stare down the last few months of my 20s, I’ve decided that must change.

Recently I’ve given myself a challenge to be in at least 33% of the photos I upload to Instagram. For most people, it’s not so much a challenge as it is “how you’re supposed to use Instagram.”

But forcing myself to be IN the picture accomplishes two things. One, I have to give a damn about how I look. Putting a little more effort into my daily appearance can’t be a bad thing. And two, I have some record that I was here and here’s what I looked like and this is what I did. I want my kids to be able to look at my photos and see a woman who is at the beginning of finding herself, of understanding her purpose in life, of trusting herself and her gifts, of learning to love and be loved in return. I want that photo proof.

So if you see me on Instagram and it’s been a week or more since I’ve uploaded a selfie, give me a nudge and say, “You said you would.”

Counting on you to hold me to it!