REFLECTIONS

A series of essays.....

REFLECTIONS OF LIFE
THROUGH A CHILD'S EYES

.....as seen through my eyes!





By: Jacqueline E. Hughes


The reflection of the person we believe ourselves to be can be seen, considered, and reconsidered after much observation and rumination.

Captive within a Fun House Hall of Mirrors, we see ourselves pulled, stretched, squashed, enlarged, deformed, and multiplied......a genuinely false impression of our true physical nature yet designed to stretch the imagination to its limits. We smile into one mirror that makes us look taller, slimmer and cry into another that bloats our collective consciousness beyond recognition.


Reflected in our daily life is the person we confront each day in the bathroom mirror, train window, wine glass, or puddle at our feet after a summer's shower. A thousand images of ourselves bent and bounced back into our own eyes from every imaginable surface we encounter. We have no recourse but to look back at this person, accept them or not, and constantly wonder if what you see is what you get; If what you see is what you share with those around you.

If we feel content by what we see in our reflection, we are less bitter and more receptive of what life, the world, has to offer. To loathe the person we see requires us to reevaluate our life and make necessary changes because our first priority is to love ourselves in order for our love to surround others in peace, joy and contentment.

Narcissism is a reflection of ourselves that, unfortunately, takes love and fractures its good intent into a million shards of self-absorbed interest. The inordinate fascination with oneself blocks out the reality of the world around us and minimizes the capability or desire to be of any assistance to those in need be they relatives, friends, or strangers.

The telltale sign that we are happy with our own reflection and that we like what we are projecting out to the rest of mankind can always be measured within the eyes of a child. The awareness and sensitivity of children is far greater than we could ever imagine and if our life can be determined in terms of good or bad, real or false, and honest or dishonest, we will always be able to see the results flashing back at us in their beautiful eyes. The promises of a lifetime can be seen through two small windows into the soul of youth and innocence.

Give pause to reflect on or think deeply about your life today. If what you see isn't bad, rejoice and take a moment to decide if you can go an extra mile by helping to make someone else's life better. Volunteer your time or donate your surplus 'stuff' so that someone else may have an opportunity for success.

If what reflects back to you is a broken or unhappy person.....seek support through others. The broken shards of any mirror can always be made whole again if we love and are loved in return. It may take time and it certainly will take effort, dedication, and the desire needed to fix what is broken inside.

Our lives mirror many of our greatest moments. May these moments reflect our best nature and always give us rise in seeking the ability or strength to respond adequately to any challenging situation; to ascend above the ordinary and empower each of us to break the invisible barriers that hold us back from becoming the best we can be.

Copyright © 2016 by Jacqueline E. Hughes
All rights reserved