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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall
Why are women in your thrall?
I consider myself enlightened when it comes to my existence and presentation as a woman.
After all, I am a psychotherapist and a feminist. I do love myself and have worked hard to love my body. My small breasts became larger to breastfeed my son. They sag now for the same reason. They fulfilled their role and I am quite proud of them. The author, Robert Heinlein, wrote of “baby chewed breasts” being beautiful. I agree. My Caesarean scar also reminds me of one of the best experiences of my life. When I maintain my weight, the looser abdominal muscles resulting from pregnancy aren’t obvious. When I am heavier, the resulting tummy is yet one more reminder of the powerful joy of bringing a human being into the world.
However, in spite of my joy in my body, and my understanding that women are too hard on themselves, I am my mother’s daughter, and she never left the house without full make-up. The culture has also had it’s way with me, from the days of emaciated fashion models, to the filtered and retouched film and photos of celebrities. And then, I have aged, which is a rite of passage in our western society that is not honored or revered in women.
Conflicting emotions about looks arose for me with the recent visit of my lover. I just put…
