"Debbie, you have the most beautiful smiling eyes." This was the compliment I received from a teacher when I was in the seventh grade. I still think that it was the best compliment I ever received. I felt like she really saw me, that she saw right through to my soul.
A few years ago in the midst of my grief and depression I remember looking in the mirror and thinking, "Where did that girl go, the one with the smiling eyes?" It was sad to peer in the mirror and see such weariness and despair. I thought that maybe my eyes would never smile again.
Yesterday I was looking in the mirror and I saw something entirely new. My eyes were neither smiling nor empty. What I saw when I looked into my own eyes was peace. There is a softness in my eyes that was never there before. I suppose that is both the advantage and cost of middle age, everything seems to soften.
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