Just-Right Beautiful

I keep seeing pictures

Filtered and airbrushed and beautyfaced

Wrinkles smoothed, lines erased, pigment evened out

And bland as store bought bread.

Looking less like yourself isn't beautiful

Erasing, painting, changing who you are

Isn't beautiful

You're beautiful 

When you're

Curled up in your pjs reading that book 

Being brave enough to pick up your first surf board

Laughing loud and long 

Kissing your mama

Crying with your best friend

Eating noodles and debating with your coworkers

Walking that enormous dog

Feeding those chickens

Making messes and magic in the kitchen

Driving with one hand on the wheel and the other on mine 

Just living 

Elbows deep.

Not giving a thought to that camera or mirror or unflattering angle. 

You're beautiful

Just-right beautiful 

Just right now

Right there where you are.

Me and My Reflection

When I was a kid 

And I saw the pretty girls getting attention and invitations and boyfriends 

I rode the bus home in silence

Staring out the window at

My own ghostly reflection

Thinking 

It's just you and me, kid.

And thinking 

If I could be pretty enough 

Then I would be loved enough 

And I would be happy.

And thinking

Maybe I could be smart enough 

Or 

Maybe I could be useful enough

Or

Maybe I could be undemanding enough

Then I would be loved enough 

And I would be happy.

And after years of seeing other people fall in love, I thought:

I'm not.

But you 

Love me like crazy and

Laugh at my jokes and

Rave over my cooking and 

Look at me like you're lucky

- Like you're still so unbelievably lucky -

Fifteen years in.

And almost everyone is 

PrettierSmarterUsefullerandLessdemanding

But they're sitting at home with their duds

While I 

Have

You.

My reflection and I were wrong

And lucky

Straight-from-heaven lucky.