Vanity, Thy Name is ….

“Me!” I’ve noticed lately that I’ve been a little too absorbed with my appearance. I’m getting older (aren’t we all?) and I’ve noticed a few changes to my face that I would rather not see. They’re probably not noticeable to anyone else but they are to me. I find that I’ve been spending more money on different skin treatments and different cosmetics to make me look younger or cover my perceived imperfections.

Then I remembered back to the end of last summer when I had my six-item clothing challenge. At the end of the challenge, one of the things I learned was that other people don’t care as much about how I look as I do. Or maybe they just don’t notice. Either way, it was quite humbling.

So, with that in mind, I’ve decided what I will be doing as part of my Lenten preparations. I’m going to abstain from makeup on the Fridays of Lent. I know I can’t make it without cosmetics EVERY day but I think once a week will be a good challenge. It will be a sacrifice and a reminder of what true beauty is.

I can already tell you that my biggest challenge will be not altering my commitments on Fridays to avoid being out in public. I know I’ll be tempted to just hang out at home and catch up on housework and writing but that would defeat the purpose of my sacrifice. So, I will shower, dress, do my hair, and put on moisturizer. I’ll even make sure to wear earrings. But, I won’t put on any makeup. Wish me luck!

What are you doing for Lent this year? Are you working on overcoming a weakness like I am?