MIRROR, MIRROR

How can I describe the person in the mirror I see looking back at me? How do I define something, someone- myself? How does anyone define themselves for that matter? Are we not beings of terminal change? Are we not daily renewed and epitomized by circumstance?

There is a constant yearning- a desire to discover and rediscover and uncover and define humanity. There is awe and wonder at learning our uniqueness and yet there is apprehension at what we may find when we look closer. We are a people so compartmentalized in life that being able to look rightly at our own image is nearly impossible, or at least so I have found.

So what then shall we use as our criteria for self-definition and mirror image? Is it in the title of trade we hold, or in the class of society we belong? Is it in the passions we cling to or the tears that fall? Is it in religion and morale, character or defects? Is it in the lines of our face and the color of our hair? How do we truly SEE ourselves?

I believe that the ability to truly SEE oneself rests not just in the tangible, but in the intangible. According to the Snow White tale, the dark queen asks the Mirror to define who in the land holds the most beauty. She only thinks on the initial appearance, her question is left with much room for debate. For a time, she held the role she sought, yet as Snow White grew and blossomed, not merely in looks, but in character, strength, compassion, and morale- the tides turned. She was the one the Mirror was reflecting back as the fairest of them all.

This may seem a silly comparison, but I find there is much metaphorically that comes into play here. The image- built not only on what the naked eye can see- is based on true human nature and strength. The fallacy of life is that we see much more surface than anything else. Do we ever really look past our initial appearance at the deeper side of our image- our soul, if you will? It is yet again embarking on the quest for finding oneself. It is the desire to live a life deeper than the shallow initial look. It is the breaking down of molds and the ability to shed light on areas that we may have long hidden that reveals our true self-image. We must peer beyond the jaded looking glass and own all that encompasses our mirror image. More than our appearance- it is our brilliance, our aura, our humanness. It is our true self.

Mirror, Mirror on the wall- peel the blinders from my eyes that I may SEE the one who is looking back at me...