Today’s word prompt, Identical, makes most people think of twins. They looks the same and share most genetic characteristics. However, there are other ways to see the identical version of yourself.
Standing in front of a mirror will reflect an identical version of whatever is in front of it, no matter how hard you try to disguise it or hide from it. It used to be the worst part of my day, and sometimes it still is. To see yourself in the mirror and be disgusted with what you see can be soul-crushing and disheartening. Going through high school and college with a lack of self-confidence and inward loathing of myself and the things around me eroded any chance of liking the identical image of me in any mirror. I wasn’t tall like other girls in my class; I had stocky legs and muscular arms, unlike most girls in my class; I didn’t have elegant or refined features ,and I did not have the most grace as others did. By comparison, I didn’t even compare to other girls, which my family frequently pointed out. Looking back, there is no wonder why I didn’t like to see my identical self.
It was nearly two decades after high school before I realized that this was abnormal behavior. After I decided to fix this, it took years of making myself look in the mirror each day, even if it was only while I was brushing my teeth or combing my hair, to realize that I am unique and great in my own way, and that it is okay to like who I am. It took much more than forcing myself to look in a mirror each day, such as ridding myself of negative people and environments in my life as well as appreciating and emulating the people who are positive. Even today I have times when I have to force myself to look at my identical image and be reminded that there is nothing wrong with me and no one can take me down again, even if I do not measure up to the other girls.