Lesson #24: Low Brow Is Better Than No Brow

Not all of the lessons I've learned in just under 40 years happened during my adult years. A few were so smack-me-in-the-face memorable, they couldn't help but be drilled into my head at a young age.

Like the lesson I learned when I was around eleven years old. I shared a room with my sister, something I imagine she wasn't thrilled about considering she was ten years older than I was. It wasn't too bad for me, since she was usually out with friends or visiting her then boyfriend (my bro-in-law of over 25 years) at college.

One night, as my sister got ready to head out, I watched her use a little dab of hair remover just above and below her eyebrows to get rid of stray hairs -- kind of an early 80s poor man's eyebrow wax. As I watched her closely, she said...

"Don't do this."

All I heard?

"Do this."

Facing the Facts

With money tight, we all have to make decisions and sacrifices that we'd rather not make. Eating dinner out... we barely do it anymore. Clothes and shoes? I look but I don't purchase. While those are definitely things we enjoy, they're not nearly as difficult to forgo as my facials. Spending an hour to myself with no kids, no phone and no Internet is not only a gift to my sanity, it's key in keeping my skin from looking like a road map.

Don't believe me?

This morning, as I volunteered in kindergarten, a little girl asked me about the unidentifiable object on my face.

"What's that on your chin?"
"Uh, let's keep reading the story."
"It's red. Right there. What IS it?"
"Ok then, we're moving on..."

60 minutes later, I was having a facial. If my skin problems are noticeable to the not-ready-for-full-day crowd, imagine how I look to the rest of the world.



Frankly, I could hug that little girl. She reminded me there are some things we just can't give up. I'm just thankful she couldn't see my chipped toe nails.

What's something you can't live without?