The Stranger in the Mirror

I look in the mirror, who do I see ? Through a veil of distortion I glimpse, not me but one who looks like me . Why does the mirror deceive?

Where,I ask is the one who believed in fairy tales and happy endings? The one who was quick to jest, ready with a banter and smile, at even the most annoying?

The one who gazed at a falling star, made a wish that was close to her heart ? Where is the one who believed in magic and kissed the moon goodnight ?

Who, I ask, is this shadow of the past , with eyes that speak of lost hope ? Who is this parody of the one who was ? The answer, whispers the mirror, lies in the one you see .

The answer my friend, lies with each one of us . In our quest for empowerment, we turned into slaves of power . Reaching for goals laid down by others, we lost sight of our own . We buried the child within and watched our dreams fade away.

As we trudged the treacherous road to success, we lost our soul. We missed the gentle warmth of our homes, missed watching our children grow. Compensating with material gifts for the lonely lives.

We blamed our circumstances, our life but failed to see the fault in the choices we made. Disillusioned and unhappy we turned to cynicism as a way of life and we strayed from our faith.

We missed the simple pleasures of life, to soak up the sun, to dance in the rain, to lie beneath the stars. To talk to the trees, to sing with the breeze. Instead we seek entertainment and companionship in the digital world.

It’s time then to cease, this empty existence and rekindle our spiritual self. Seek out the child within, recreate the beauty of life. Let’s break free of the fear of failure, rejection and start to dream again.

Let’s learn to walk with angels, believe in miracles. Let’s learn to love fiercely, those dear to us, cherish our friends and value relationships. Let’s choose happiness once again.