Ever seen a fish out of water get a pedicure? I realize fish have fins and not feet. Yes, I know they do not have toes. Still, I was that fish at a local spa.
Here is the story.
I finally got around to spending my birthday gift money. My parents gave it to me with instructions to buy something out-of-the-ordinary. In other words, something I wanted that I would not typically buy for myself. We don’t have a lot of extra money in our budget for what I call “splurges”, and I really loved the idea of treating myself (with someone else’s cash). So, I booked a pedicure to celebrate finishing the school year and to prepare for our summer vacation. I’m not a “spa regular”, but I can fake it for an hour, right?!?
Ha! It turns out that I could have been filming an episode of a new sitcom called “Fish Out of Water”. The lady next to me on the right was chatting loudly about her son’s graduation from (insert name of exclusive local private school) and her upcoming vacation to France. The lady on my left was complaining about the weather forecast for her cruise next week compared to her cruise last month.
I was just sitting there between them – a fish out of water getting a pedicure. A fish trying hard not to giggle out loud and call attention to herself.
I’m a fairly simple girl.
May I be honest? I’m a fairly simple girl. I was just pleased as punch to have a Diet Coke in an actual glass (with ice!) that afternoon instead of my usual can or plastic bottle. I got to leisurely browse a fancy fashion magazine cover to cover. You know the kind of magazine I mean – the kind with glossy pages that smell like perfume and money. The kind with advertisements for expensive boutique cosmetics and shoes that cost more than my entire wardrobe.
I think I was so giggly that afternoon at the spa in part because of the comical, superficial contrast of myself between the other two women. My current cosmetics (what few I own and wear) are all from the grocery or drug store. In fact, I’m pretty sure one of the two eye liners upstairs in my make-up bag is actually from DollarTree. I cannot remember the last time I had my hair professionally highlighted in a salon. I also stopped DIY coloring my hair at home six years ago. And none of the pairs of shoes in my bedroom closet cost more than $75. That’s just how I roll these days. Our money is going elsewhere.
comfortable in our own skin
Don’t get me wrong. No shame in us spending our money on extras or “splurges” if we have examined our motives and decided that is truly what’s appropriate for us. If money flowed more freely, I would likely have fewer gray hairs visible on my head. I might have a few cosmetics from someplace fancier than I do now. And I may even vacation in France or take cruises more often than once in a lifetime.
Still, I am pretty comfortable in my own skin as is. I can genuinely appreciate an afternoon splurge, and I can be equally content with unadorned toes. Actually, some of the best moments in my life have happened without mascara or lip gloss. I want my heart and soul to be beautiful FIRST – the rest is a bonus.
As a side note, I really wish my younger self – “Teenage Melissa” – had this frame of reference. I spent too much time in high school listening to what the world said about my worth. For example, I was convinced my hair was too fine, and my skin was too fair. One tooth was uneven. My eyebrows were too thick, and my jaw was too square. And so on…
Good grief! “Pushing Fifty Melissa” needs to go back in time and give “Teenage Melissa” a solid pep talk (or a good smack upside the head) followed by a forgiving hug. I’m guessing I’m not alone in that. We probably all would love to go back in time long enough to give our younger selves some wisdom and perspective.
So, here is the bottom line. No matter which you are – a fancy fish, a fairly simple fish or some fish in between – know that you are God’s handiwork, wonderfully made. He loves you – heart and soul. You are beautiful.
Oh, and just so you know, I actually have been to Paris (Kentucky).
Adapted from original 6/5/19 Facebook post. Image by Bruno Glätsch from Pixabay.
