Audrey Hepburn Was Smart

Earlier this week, I took a picture and posted it on Instagram.  (Side note:  Do you Instagram?  You can follow me at leishmcd, if you'd like!)  The picture received a hilarious response from a number of friends.  Immediately I thought, "I should blog about this!"  (Anyone surprised?)

Here's the picture I posted.  Warning:  It may scare you.  It may scare small children.  It may scare old ladies.  It may scare puppies and pretty little song birds.  You ready for it?  Here it is...


This, my friends, is what I woke up to one morning.  I rolled out of bed, walked into the bathroom, took one look at myself and thought, "You've got to be kidding me."  WHAT is my hair DOING?  Do I look like I've had a rough night?!

I stood in front of my messy sink--splattered with blue toothpaste and little kid spit--and took a real good look at myself.  The bedhead.  The scrubbed clean face.  The deep crease between my eyebrows.  The subtle "saggies" beneath my chin that indicate I'm "aging."  The scars, the spots, the pimples.  The lines in my neck.  The splotchy chin.  That nose, that nose, that nose!

I admit I felt a tad glum as I thought, "Wow, Aleisha, you are NOT a pretty girl!"  I snapped that picture (because the kooky bedhead was kind of funny), rinsed out the sink, and left the mirror behind.  I didn't even bother to comb/tame my hair.

Walking into the kitchen, I greeted my pajama-clad children.  They were sitting at the table, playing with toys, waiting for me to feed them.  It wasn't long before I noticed their smiles and stares, obviously directed at my head.  Slowly and softly, Lilly began to giggle.  Cam grinned at me with "melt-your-heart" Mater teeth.


"What's so funny?  You guys like my hair?," I asked.

(Goofball chuckles and delirious squeals increased in volume!)

"It's crazy," Lilly answered.  "Cwazy, Ma," replied Cam.

I laughed right along with them and made funny faces, as I poured bowls of Froot Loops and Crunchy Nut cereal.  I sat between my two cackling kiddos, and thought of my favorite Audrey Hepburn quote:  "I believe that happy girls are the prettiest girls."

That's when it smacked me in my bedhead head.

I am a pretty girl--sagging "chin flesh" and pimples and splotchy skin and creases and all--because I am a happy girl.  Hello!

Life is about being happy.  It's about seeing the good in the world around us.  It's about counting our blessings and accepting ourselves.  It's about loving ourselves and the people around us--no matter how messy they are, or if they like Elmo, or if they wear diapers!  It's about finding the joy in the every day.  It's about embracing the imperfections that make us so spectacularly unique.  It's about taking a look at ourselves and saying, "I am me.  I am okay.  I am enough."  

My kids and I ate our cereal.  We noisily slurped milk from our bowls.  We giggled.  We balanced our spoons on our noses.  My heart felt light as I looked at Camren and Lilly's faces...

And I thought, I am happy, I am happy, I am happy.

Comments

  1. Wonderful, wonderful post!
    I love you JUST the way you are!!!

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    1. And I love YOU just the way you are!!! THANK YOU so much for the comment, the support, and the love, Lisa!

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  2. You are one of the most beautiful people I know. I truly, truly mean that. Bedhead and all.

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  3. I absolutely think you are beautiful from the inside to the outside, Aleisha!

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  4. That is a beautiful quote! And that was some beautiful "cwazy" hair! :) Loved this post.

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    1. Thank you to my beautiful friend, Dominique! Glad you liked my post. I was thinking about having you proof read it! ;) HA HA HA!

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  5. This photo is the most amazing one I've seen in a long time! It makes me smile more than laugh. Though, I scream - lol'ed when I saw it on Instagram. It makes me smile so much because it's you...not the crazy hair or the "blemishes" you speak of...but the beautiful, fun, spunky, and real person you are.
    You ARE pretty...in and out, Aleisha!!
    It made me heart happy - reading your morning with Cameron and Lilly and how their laughter elevated. I can SO picture it! :)

    I love you!
    You are so beautifulllll to meeeeeee!

    Xxooxxoo
    Tacohead

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  6. Loved this post! Great quote, and great story, sounds like you had a fabulous morning with your kids 8)

    New follower from the Mom Blog Monday Blog Hop 8)

    Lovin Life

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    1. Thank you dearest Nora! I appreciate you stopping by, commenting, and following. Hope you have a lovely weekend. I'm returning the follow! XOXO!

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  7. I just looked in the mirror for the first time this morning, then read this. I needed it. Thanks so much.
    http://www.memoirsofmeandmine.com/

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    1. Thanks so much for stopping by, shweet thang! Your comment made me smile. I'm glad you enjoyed my post. (Isn't my picture crazy!?!) Have a lovely weekend!

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  8. awwwww - such a sweet post (as always). And that picture totally cracked me up! I'm not on Instagram yet, but hopefully will be in a few days.I'll find you if that happens.

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    1. Debbie, Debbie, Debbie...whatever you do, DO NOT GO TO DR. HOUSER IN MOUNT AIRY! HA HA HA HA HA!! Oh my gosh, you crack me up! Confession: I dream of coming to your house and riding an alpaca and sitting at your kitchen table and eating lunch with you and just laughing, laughing, laughing! Thanks for the comment and for stopping by. Always your biggest fan (but so NOT in a creepy, weirdo, stalker way), Aleisha

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  9. And this post my dear is why I think I love you! ha! Awesome!! And I'm SO excited you're on Instagram!! Following you right now! yes in the middle of the night right now!!

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  10. I love the post. You are so courageous! I am following from Friendship Friday. Hope to see you at my place! Donna

    http://mylife-in-stories.blogspot.com

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  11. You are a hoot. I came across this on last week's Homemaking link-up and the picture attracted me to the story which was just as good as the picture. Thanks for sharing your fun. Gail (Bible Love Notes)

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  12. Great post. I think my husband's hair looks like this 50% of the time when he gets outta bed. His solution is simple: a baseball cap, even though he could care less. Thanks for sharing this cheery quote!

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  13. Such a fun post!! We love you! We are so glad that you linked up to our "Strut Your Stuff Saturday". Please come back again really soon! Thanks! -The Sisters

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  14. You are such a babe Aleisha! Love you with all of my happy girl heart!

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