A Different Person

     Picture day at the Parent Partnership Program was yesterday. We don't usually go in to school on Mondays, so even though I knew it was coming up, had marked it in my day planner, and had entered into the calendar on my phone, I forgot.
     I was posting yesterday's blog when I noticed a friend had mentioned on facebook about forgetting picture day today. We began the frantic scurry. While it was still fairly early in the day, I didn't want to spend the time to pack a lunch and be out over the lunch hour. I also didn't want to wait until after lunch, because I knew that I would get busy and forget the time.
     The 4 yo was badly in need of a trim on her bangs, but that hadn't happened yet. We had been using headbands. Yesterday, I tried to pull her bangs back with one of those microscopic hair bands made for babies. It looked terribly cute. She felt her hair and decided she didn't like it. I asked her to look in the mirror, and maybe she would change her mind.
     She climbed on the step stool and looked in the mirror. She stared in the mirror. For a long time. Finally, she spoke. "I don't like it. It looks like a different person." Sigh. I told her that I could cut her bangs in a hurry, but she'd have to sit very still so it looks nice in the pictures. She did. She sat still! I was able to give her a quick bangs trim and brush the hair off of her sweater. "Look in the mirror now." I instructed. She looked, and immediately smiled. "I like this! I look like me!"
     How many times does something change in my life, forcing a new schedule or responsibility on me that I don't feel prepared for, or that I am not qualified for. Those times when I believe that whatever new thing it is that I am doing just doesn't look like me. I don't recognize myself in that role. I can't see myself in it.
     Usually, some small tweak, one that won't change the outcome of the project or responsibility but will change how I see it, or how I see myself in it seems to make it work. Sometimes the tweak is learning more about what it is that I need to accomplish. Sometimes it is in meeting someone new that is already good at whatever it is I need to accomplish. I don't have to change who I am and become unrecognizable in order to accomplish something, I just need to make some improvement to what is already there. I have to admit that I do like what I see, and that freshening up my skills and attitude a bit will allow me to continue to recognize myself, and see myself in a better light. Then I can say "I like this! It looks like me!"