The Girl in the Mirror

She stared at me. Her head resting on the headboard, a patient hint of a smile on her face. There was a glint of something in her eyes but I wasn't sure what.

And she stared...at me, into me, through me.

She was beautiful. Her hair looked like it had been coiffed by a salon professional. Her makeup was just so. Just enough to highlight her high cheekbones. A nice shade of liner to bring out the colour in her eyes. And her lips were shaded perfectly to accentuate their fullness...which was stretched just to the side by that smile.

And she stared...at me, into me, through me.

She looked so familiar. So common, so known. But she looked so different, so unusual, so...happy.

And she stared...at me, into me, through me.

I attempted to figure out what was so different about her, what was so unique, what was so...pleasing. She looked so happy! So sure of herself and so...content. She looked as if nothing could ever bother her, nothing could ever upset her balance, nothing could ever hurt her. She was fascinating.

And she stared...at me, into me, through me.

As she stared it started to come to me. What these facets of her were.

Beauty. Not just a nice and pleasing look to her, but an inner and outer glow that shone so bright if the rest of her were stripped away it would be blinding. She could be the girl next door or a model on a runway. Her legs were so long and shapely, toned with years of activity. Those legs led up to hips that were slender but enough to fill out her attire and a waist that brought it all back in. Her breasts were not overly large, but not small either. Long arms and hands with that face. An Amazonian woman.

But there was more...and she continued to stare.

Confidence. Not proud, not arrogant, not egotistical simply confident. Confidence in knowing who she was and what her purpose was on this Earth. Confidence in her looks in her skills and in herself. Confidence in her abilities, in her body and in her mind. Confidence.

But there was more...and she continued to stare.

Happiness. Happiness is hard to describe but one look in her eyes and you were sure of her happiness. Her eyes smiled with her mouth. Her whole face lit up with that smile. And it was clear as the most vacant crystal that she was filled with happiness.

But there was more...and she continued to stare.

Contentment. There is no question that she was content. She was not wanting for anything. Not desirous of material objects, of touch, of love, of anything. She was completely, utterly content.

She was everything I wanted to be and more. Yet she continued to stare. Into my face, into my eyes, into my soul. She stared intently, unwavering and yearningly to tell me this is it. Strip it all away Jennifer and this is it. This is what's left. This person is you. This person is me. And I finally saw with complete clarity that she was me without any masks, without any facade without any screens. She was me. The true me. Dropping all guards, dropping any and all fear of being judged, dropping all the extraneous weights the world lays on our shoulders. The girl in the mirror with all of her beauty, confidence, happiness and contentment was me.

And I stared back...as we became...one.

Hyatt Regency, Chicago, Illinois. Wednesday, February 10, 2010