{a world of good} your own reflection

what do you see when you look in the mirror
does your reflection match how you feel
do you ever gaze into a face that couldn’t be your own
that’s not me
you peer ahead expecting to see yourself in a younger light 
or perhaps at a time in your life you felt most productive, successful, or happy

the goal would be to look at our reflection and see us for good that we find in ourselves now 
that very day
in that very moment
relishing in what those past events have made us today

but i think we have all experienced that longer than typical stare at that face ahead
reminiscing on your past appearance
your past lives
wondering how you got to be here

as this disease continues to take its toll on my husband
and as i think of the young age at which my daddy left this life
it has caused great introspection on my life and what i am making out of it
time seems to have compressed for me
my future self doesn’t seem so far away
who am i becoming now?
no longer can i think of aging as just a passage of time
taking you further away from what we might consider our prime
aging is a gift
a gift some are not afforded

the incredibly talented photographer tom hussey created a touching photography series called reflections
in which he portrays the elderly as they gaze upon their younger selves reflected in the mirror
after seeing these i knew i wanted to feature them as part of my
a world of good features
such beauty and grace portrayed in this photo series
truly no words needed

the emotion they evoke may be different for everyone
some may experience happiness, gratitude, or fulfillment
others regret, longing, or failure
but reflect
take a moment to see these through the eyes of your parent, your grandparent, your ailing friend, your kind neighbor
or perhaps yourself

what do you see when you gaze into that mirror?

what feelings are conjured up?

how do you view your past and what have you learned from it?

can we truly see the passage of time as a gift?

my hope would be yes