A Wren Says

I watched them with envy. At twelve years old, the other girls were in the bathroom mirror applying their lip liner and lipstick. I wanted so much to engage in beauty myself that I would I put glitter gel and lip gloss on my eyelids. I had an entire Lip Smackers collection. That was about as much makeup I thought I’d be allowed at my young age. I would flip through the pages of magazines and dream of all the makeup and fashion I would wear when I grew up. I was excited for my future in beauty. But then I grew up and needed to be taken seriously, or at the very least not laughed at, so I stopped playing with beauty.

But that dream never fully went away.

As YouTube and other social media rose, I found myself watching enviously again. This time as a grown up, I was captivated as beauty influencers played with makeup. I spent years wishing I could do what they did, too. Now I have finally realized that I can.

As I embark on this year of being unapologetically vain, I want to give myself the freedom to confidently pursue this lifelong passion. I can do my hair, wear the makeup, paint my nails, pamper my skin, and pull off more fashionable looks. Even if I’m sitting at home, I want to pay more attention to how I present myself. Or perhaps especially if I’m sitting at home. After all, I ‘m not trying to look good to other people, but to affirm what I believe about myself. I’m doing this for me because I am worthy of it, no matter what anyone else says.

I’m here to make this a beautiful year, in so many ways. I think it’s time I let myself play.