Flaw Salad

Most of the time, you look in the mirror and see a collection of flaws. Big nose, flat hair, flabby gut, blemished skin. You think how unbearable it is that others will have to look at you and that rolling, jelly middle, that unsuspecting victims will be caught in the beam of those oversized, crooked teeth.

You learn to turn away, to forget, or you would never leave the house.

But every once in a while, you look up and catch your reflection—in some odd moment, like when you’re buttoning your shirt—and for a fleeting second, you are struck by the beauty of the person you see. That hair is so soft, and those curves are so gentle. That face looks open and kind, and you see someone whole, human, lovely.

You gaze, stunned, and you realize this must be how you look to people who love you.