Beauty Treatment

When I was in college I opened a fortune cookie that read, "The greatest cosmetic for beauty is happiness". I kept this fortune in my jewelry box for years and years (and still stocked up on Clinique bonuses in the meantime).

I'm now a true believer in this fortune. Happiness - and confidence - are keys to beauty.

I've always been tough on my own appearance. Like too many women, I hate having my picture taken and hate looking at those pictures. I've wasted countless hours, days, weeks anguishing over my weight, my skin, my nose, my hair, and just about every mundane body issue you can imagine.

And now I'm a new mother, with less sleep and time to myself. My appearance has fallen low on my to-do list. Add dark circles, eyebrows that need plucking, and a body with less than the desired amount of exercise to the equation -- you get the picture.

Yet, this weekend I asked a stranger to take picture of my daughter and me in the swimming pool. Yes, I was wearing a bathing suit. Why, you ask? Because my desire to capture these moments on film outweighs my insecurity regarding my appearance.

The pictures showed me with wet hair, slicked into an Eddie Munster 'do. White skin. And did I mention I was wearing a bathing suit? And yet, they ain't bad. Why? Because I'm holding my daughter in these pictures and she is happy and having a great time. I feel fulfilled and I think it shows

But fulfillment isn't the only beauty secret here. I feel proud of myself. I didn't let a biological clock, a late- or never- entrance of Mr. Right, or fear stop me from making my own dream come true. It wasn't an easy decision to make, it wasn't easy to get her here, and it isn't easy to do on my own --- but I did it anyway and I continue to do it every day. And that day-by-day accomplishment not only feels good, I think it looks good.