New lip balm is a little piece of happiness in a sleek and gleaming fuselage. A creamy profusion of moisture with a hint of color and scent, sharply slanted and pristine; waiting to brighten my expectant lips. It has the power to transform not just my face, but my entire outlook. It gives me the courage and optimism to meet life challenges with the grace, strength, and resolve that I know I am capable of. Because new lip balm makes me realize that there are a million little things in this life that make the effort worthwhile.
Make up, and the use of it, is thought by some to embody the enslavement to an ideal; that of women as mere objects. That, quite frankly, is pseudo intellectual tripe. Since the dawn of time man and woman alike have adorned themselves with whatever means available. It’s an avenue of self-expression that is by no means a contemporary concept. To pride oneself on one's appearance is neither shallow, nor vain…it is simply the manifestation of the uniquely human love of beauty. Beauty makes people happy. And I have to wonder...are those who can't find joy in the simple beauty life offers us, doomed to suffer eternal ugliness of the spirit?
Am I suggesting that lip balm can fix a bad marriage, cure terminal illness, or bring back a lost loved one? No, certainly not. Am I suggesting that lip balm can cure clinical depression or other biochemical disorders? No. That would be monumentally ignorant. But I do think that those who can take comfort in simple pleasures amid great hardship and tribulation are those who will rise above and triumph in the end. Those who find a way to succor and sustain their spirit will always come out on top.
Find your spiritual lip balm and apply it with a heavy hand.
Perhaps it is the warm anesthesia of a crackling fire. Maybe it is the noble promise of a brand new book. It could be the decadence of a steaming, fragrant bath replete with bubbles or the rich sweetness of a $4 calorie laden dessert creation. Perhaps it is the earthy satisfaction of hands covered in soil and fertilizer, or flour and sugar. All of these work well for me individually, or better yet, all together in a cataclysm of self-indulgence.
Whatever it is...revel in the comfort it brings you. Use it as a balm for your soul. Take refuge in the sheer hedonism without shame and without apology. There is nothing noble or erudite or insightful about suffering for suffering's sake, and if anyone suggests to you that enjoyment of such simple pleasures makes you slow-witted or superficial, you can feel perfectly justified in handing them a Thesaurus to comfort them in their time of need.
Lip balm is a little indulgence. I have tubes of it everywhere in my house, car, purse and coat pockets. Every time I apply that creamy elixir, I breath deeply and revel in the silky smoothness on my lips. I smile and tackle the next thing on my to-do list.
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2 comments:
Thank you for the new insight into the world of lip balm. I am one that believes in the natural beauty and do not like the make up crap. My girls know that but the two of them will cake on the lip balm like I have never seen before. When they received a variety package of maybe 24 each at Christmas time I was wondering what in the world is the purpose of this. Every day I see what the purpose is I just never really had a total understanding of it. I had my own thoughts on this like, it makes it easier for the words they speak to slip out over their lips and then think about what they had said after the fact but I guess I will lighten up now that I know it is their way of releasing their inner spirits and helping them to jump into the next challege of life.
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