Accessories! Accessorize!

"The only thing that separates us from the animals is our ability to accessorize."

--Clairee, "Steel Magnolias"

Aren't accessories fun?!  A pretty scarf.  A bright-colored belt.  An animal-print flat.  PEARLS!  A flower hair-clip.  Big earrings.  Red heels.  A gorgeous handbag.  (I'm drooling a little on my keyboard...)  I adore all of it!  I have always loved accessories.

As a little girl, my favorite thing to do while visiting my beloved grandma was to play "dress-up" with her old costume jewelry.  I'd sit on a stool in her kitchen and snap vintage, beaded, clip-on earrings onto my earlobes, while she rolled my hair into pin curls.  Talk about glamorous!  I would look through her red, cedarwood jewelry box and marvel at the glimmer and glitz of the contents within.  I could never decide which necklace I wanted to wear...so I would wear all of them!  

My grandma.  Her kitchen.  That old jewelery box.  Some of my most cherished memories of childhood.

As a very mature and very grown up woman (I can hear you giggling from here), I still love to adorn myself with things that sparkle and shine...BUT...it was my Lilly who once reminded me of my very best accessory.  Even better than the contents of a cedarwood box.

My smile.

One peaceful summer afternoon, I was rocking Cam to sleep for a nap.  Miss Lilly came into the room and whispered, “Mom, I want to show you something.  I drew a picture of you.”  I laid my slumbering, baby boy down in his crib and followed Lilly out of the room.

“Where's your picture?,” I asked, enthusiastically, as we walked into her bedroom.  She said, “Right there,” and pointed to her closet.

My daughter had drawn a picture of me in blue marker on her closet!!

Now, there were several reactions I could have had after the initial shock wore off.  I could have been annoyed about having to take time to clean marker off the door.  I could have felt frustrated at having taught Lilly over and over again that "we DO NOT color on anything but coloring books or paper Mom approves of."  I could have felt stressed over trying to figure out what kind of cleaner I was going to use to get the job done.  (I heart you, Mr. Clean's Magic Eraser.)

Honestly, the most alarming thing about the whole ordeal was the fact that Lilly had drawn me frowning!

"Does she think I'm mad and ornery all the time?," I couldn't help but wonder.  "I know she knows how to draw smiley faces," I kept thinking.  I pondered on my "portrait" all afternoon and well into the evening.  The more I thought about it the more resolved I became to cultivate a happy and joyful home for my children; an environment of acceptance, contentment, and laughter.  I decided to start by smiling more. 

Your children watch you.  They watch your face. 
Remember to smile! 
It's your greatest accessory.

(And don't forget the pearls!)