The woman in the mirror gives me a gift every day.

She is my calm, unafraid and most passionate self.

She is the furious wind of my hurricane – the truth that breaks my façade.

She catches me in the subway doors, in shop windows to remind me that my outer-self should reflect my inner-self. Some days I’m obsessed with her! I can’t look away! Before I drown like Narcissus, she pushes me back into the world, saying, “Yes! Today you see the truth. Embrace it! Share it with the world!”

Other days I’m ashamed to see her, and I avoid her hoping she won’t see my self-doubt.

She reprimands me for trying to hide. On these days she fixes my eyes on her and forces these words out of my mouth:

I am beautiful, generous and kind.           I am sassy and bold. I am over-dramatic.       

I am persistent, demanding and impatient in love.         

                                                                         I am confident, flirtatious and sexy.

I am blunt and honest.                  I am passionate and expressive.                              

I am a teacher, a writer, an artist.

I am talented, professional, and difficult to work with.                   I am a control freak.

I am intelligent.                 I am too hard on myself because I expect the best.

I am confrontational and emotional.             I am a fighter.             I am a sore loser.

I am a strong woman.

At the end of this speech, she drags me to the center of the house that is my heart and says, “If you can’t handle the truth of yourself, this is the door – show yourself out.”

I am my calm, unafraid and most passionate self.

I am the furious wind of my hurricane – the truth that breaks my façade.

I am the woman in the mirror.