Mirror Mirror on the wall...

When I first arrived back in India my face began breaking out like crazy, something that has never happened in my life, why Lord am I getting pimples and wrinkles at the same time? I fought with the image in the mirror each day as I scanned my skin noticing more and more imperfections. When I told one of my friends I was doing battle with my image of beauty, in his wisdom he asked if it was my battle or for the collective consciousness of female energy? It hit me like a ton of bricks, this isn’t just mine, women everywhere question their image at some point in their lives. He reminded me to truly hear voice the in my head, was it mine? If not why pay any attention to it?

My partner says “don’t worry, I am going with heart not face” I know this is supposed to be a compliment but tears stream down my cheeks. “What is wrong my love? You know if I wanted someone for just beauty I could be with many girls” my cry turns into a wail. My heart knows what he is trying to say but the insecure girl inside of me begs for clarification. He explains “Radhika you are beautiful, stunning, gorgeous, not just on the outside but more importantly on the inside, I have chosen to be with you in this life, why concern yourself with a few lines or a pimple, your looks don’t matter because your soul is connected to mine and our hearts beat together.” Love makes everything beautiful.

Inner beauty, we claim and deep in our hearts we know is what’s truly important, yet across the world many women everywhere are driven to improve their external beauty. Here in India the quest is as prevalent as it is in the west, girlfriends are concerned with their skin and its lightness, they go for regular facials with the aim of obtaining a ‘fair’ complexion, the fairest of them all is a literal translation here and most skin creams and even powders on the market have lightening agents in them, even North American favorite Ponds Cold Cream claims to give you ‘lighter skin in just ten days’ (although from the list of ingredients I’m not sure what they classify as a lightening agent).

The opposite is true in the west; with the obsession there being darker skin. A culture consumed with self tanners, bronzers and tanning beds. I can’t deny that a day in the sun does bring about a certain glow to a person. When someone is healthy they tend to have some colour in their cheeks, when someone is sick they’re pale. In the east the epitome of health is in a fairer complexion and an unhealthy lifestyle makes itself known with a darker undertone. I am witness to both. It’s very fascinating to me and I can’t help but ponder what the connection is? I’d love your thoughts on the subject…