Lately I’ve been making an effort in ways I’d forgotten. My friend Lorrie playfully attests that she’s nothing without her lipstick. I didn’t get her permission to say that, but I don’t think she’ll mind. (You can can catch Lorrie saying fun stuff like that somewhere in the land of https://www.LorrieT.com/ That’s her playground, and she loves to welcome new friends! But don’t go there yet. I have to tell you this story first, Girlfriend.) Allow me to start by confessing that I have to agree. A little color just brings a girl to life! Wouldn’t you agree?
I’m typically pretty committed to my shade of choice, and this can get sticky. Like it did not long ago, when the unthinkable happened.
I’d been encouraged by one of my book pals Jess Connolly to reclaim my lipstick wearing yesterdays gone by in the book Wild and Free beautifully co-written by herself and Ms. Hayley Morgan. (“Book pals,” by the way, are people I’ve never met in real life… but after reading their books, I swear that we’re friends!) And if you didn’t catch it, I did a Facebook Live in my slippers on a happy Slow Down, It’s Saturday! to tell you about the book- not the lipstick. (Visit my video library in the Soul LoveAble Facebook Page to check that out and more! If you don’t see the link on the sidebar, just look for it at the bottom of this page.)
So I’m in the bathroom at work refreshing my Wet ‘n’ Wild Iced Cherry when… I drop it. Right. On. The. Floor. This is where you should hear that screeching halt Halloween noise that lets you know the appropriate response is to cringe.
I swoop it up in a hurry and do what any desperate situation calls for. I panic. In my moment of crisis, I scrub half the tube away with dry paper towels and actually consider whether I will ever use it again. Ever. Yes, I considered it.
I hope you have enough faith in my better judgment to guess where this story takes me next. There I am, crouched down on my haunches, attempting to duplicate my color after finishing up at work in the make-up aisle at Walmart. After settling for what seems to be the closest match, I pry through the impossible plastic in my car. Now while this tube appears to be ordinary lipstick, it does not apply itself as such. My thirsty lips beg to differ. Girls, can I just tell you? I don’t love matte. Surely some of you know the secret, and it’s probably really great. But it’s not my fave, and I wasn’t happy. Round two.
Several days and probably $20 later I land on Fire and Ice by Revlon and pair it with a Cotton Candy gloss from Wet ‘n’ Wild. Because it’s come to my attention that what I really love is shine more than shade.
As it turns out, the new combination is a huge hit. My lips are all the buzz these days. It’s a fun fact I never imagined would make the hot topic headlines in my news feed. And I’m thrilled that in spite of that, it has. Life is full of surprises!
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Listen, I’m probably never going to be a girl that wears lipstick every day or fun earrings that dangle. Most jewelry annoys me, and those days are gone. At a genuinely happy to be pushing 40, those little things take more effort than I can afford.
But something is telling me it’s important to remember that I used to be. I used to be a girl that cared what I looked like. And I wanted girlfriends enough to do the hard work of connecting. Enough to actually go places and even do things. Just for fun. Do you ever ask yourself, “When did I give up?” I know I do.
That very same girl lives inside me today. I bet she lives in you too. She wants to come out of the cage! That’s a lot of what my book pals Jess and Hayley have to say in their book about how we’re made for more than the expectations that keep us pinned up inside of ourselves.
Sometimes I need a little reminder to mix things up and try something different. Maybe you do too.
When was the last time you started up a nice chat with the lady standing next to you in your favorite department store or maybe the food line while you wait- and not to complain? Hey, invite her to Church if the window is right! What about making some room for a person you haven’t met yet, to sit next to you? You could even ask if she knows her way around the building if you like. And don’t forget to offer exchanging your info if you’re hitting it off. Let’s not be too grown-up for the making of friends.
Potential friends are everywhere we look. It just takes a little effort to see them. Something different and new is a good thing. Even if it’s bumpy. I think I’m ready for that.
Are you?
Don’t wait to drop your lipstick on the floor. New colors are fun, and so are new friends! Go ahead, and see for yourself.
You’ll be glad that you did!
