My late father might have been misjudged as being vain.  He was indeed blessed with olive skin, raven hair, and the deepest-brown twinkly, mischievous eyes. He also used to tell anyone who might be listening that he was good -looking. He was not wrong: I witnessed many a lady- offering him a kissy-eyed alluring smile.

But it was the female in question, who had often had an ulterior-motive. My father was joint chairman of a professional photography lab; clients from the: film, music and model sectors were frequently in the habit of trying to curry favors… Little did they know, that the charismatic cockney, with his huge gold earring: might co-own the largest lab in Europe, but was also the former foundling, rescued from outside a pub as a baby, with beer in his bottle.

Dad received no maternal love. Everything he gained materially, was down to sheer hard work!

He had to learn self-belief, and he certainly had to familiarize himself with self-love, in the absence of any nurturing parent.

He told me about the cruelty that he was on the receiving end of: Back in the late forties, alone in a childrens’ home, where abuse was rife. He was a deaf young boy, ridiculed because the assumption then, was that he was stupid…

Perhaps, after the beatings, through the blurry haze of tears and puberty, he gazed in a mirror- in contemplation. He forced the glint of survivor’s smile, back upon his face. His own-made amour. His appealing looks simply matched his vibrant spirit.

And, since he had nothing else, did he realise when he finally ran away from the home: that his naturally happy persona would serve him well?

By day, he juggled two jobs, clearing up rotten fruit and vegetables,’ and assisting another trader, all for what he called shrapnel. At night, he took shelter in all sorts of unsavory places, mindful of protecting his boat-race (face) from other neglected urchins.

Until one day, he had saved enough to buy a second-hand camera. Shortly after he met a photographer and persuaded him to give him a job as his assistant. He had just turned fourteen…

The word vanity is brandished without much thought sometimes. We must be conscious, and mindful about not misconstruing the characters we meet in life.

Bestow it only on the vacuous people in our society, for whom their whole world only centres around skin-deep everything. Fortunately, there are not many of those kinds of folk about.

So, when you may meet someone who’s vibes you enjoy: because you can tell they are genuine. And they take pride and love the way they look: jump on the wave of their admirable self-love. Feel the bounce in your tummy – because they are always good fun to be around…

And then later, when you are still smiling in the mirror. As you brush your teeth- ready for bed, hold your own gaze and shine it at the beauty you are too!

 

I hope you find this helpful.

SUNNY wishes, Emma x