Something honest in a mirror

Today I mused on mirrors. My mind reverted to a time when I went around the house looking for a mirror that showed me more of a full length view, and I found nothing. 

I realized both my husband and I had put on weight but couldn't see it. 

My children had to scramble onto the bathroom counter to see themselves, and that felt all wrong.

After packing my children into our minivan, we set off for a very important errand at Walmart. To buy a full length mirror. Upon our arrival home, we paraded around the house looking for the perfect place to see ourselves. We settled on a small entry hall full of doors from all 3 bedrooms, bathroom, front and laundry rooms and hung our noble (and very inexpensive) full-length mirror on the linen closet door. 

My children promptly posed in front of it, pulled faces at themselves and each other in it, and finally sat down to play in front of it. At one point, our dog Sassy passed by stopped in astonishment at the other dog staring at her in her own home! She promptly barked and commenced growling when that other dog wouldn't go away! The kids laughed and laughed at that. Eventually Sassy grew accustomed to seeing that other dog and possibly took solace that the stranger stayed in that hall only. 

Astonishingly, the atmosphere in our home lifted. It had already been a happy home, but it became a reflective home too. A place that caught us both when we were ready to be seen and when we were not. 

I wrote this poem:

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There's something honest in a mirror.

You can preen and pose, 

Even practice your dance moves!

But you actually see what you look like

As you pass quickly by

And you see whether that dance move has become more natural

What of your expression, your hand gestures, 

Your silhouette, your shadow when you move fast,

All as you pass by, allowing you to question if that's what you want it to say.

Whether that outfit does you any favors or not.

If you and your twin act alike.

What mad and glad actually looks like on you. 

You can't lie to a mirror.

You can stand before it with your best posture and looks,

But it sees when you're not focused on appearing your best and shows you that too.

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Finally, I was reminded of a poem my father often quoted titled The Man in the Glass, by Dale Wimbrow:

When you get all you want and you struggle for self,

and the world makes you queen for a day, 

then go to the mirror and look at yourself 

and see what that woman has to say. 

For it isn't your mother, your father, or mate

whose judgment upon you must pass,

but the woman, whose verdict counts most in your life

is the one staring back from the glass.

She's the lady to please, never mind all the rest.

For she's with you clear up to the end

And you've passed your most dangerous, difficult test,

If the girl in the glass is your friend.

You may be like Jack Horner and "chisel" a plum,

And think you're a wonderful gal,

But the woman in the glass says you're only a bum

If you can't look her straight in the eye. 

You can fool the whole world down the pathway of years

And get pats on the back as you pass, 

But your final reward will be heartache and tears,

If you've cheated the girl in the glass.

(gender modifications are not in the original copy but modified for me and other women)