Wish I'd said it!

Yesterday, I was in Target picking up some things I "needed" - it was the middle stop of a great day of discretionary spending, and I was feeling happy to be out. The check-out lines were busy with other shoppers, and as I approached, I noticed the appearance of my cashier....

"Lydia" was in her early 20s - a beautiful girl with a round, young face, those dark brown eyes that Hispanics have that I have always loved, and short, cropped hair. She had a pleasant smile, but I could tell that she was tired. She greeted me with the usual, "good morning" that she'd been trained to do. In a minute, she looked at me again and said, "good morning" and when I didn't respond, she said that she's already said that, right? We chuckled about that, and she zipped my purchases across the scanner.

As I stood there, I noticed that in about 5 places, she'd had her face pierced. A couple on her cheekbones were recent, because the skin was inflamed from the procedure. A couple of scars were already forming, and all I could see was what she will look like at my age....

I hesitated, and decided against saying to her, "Look at me; I'm 57. Before you know it, you will be on this side of your life, and when you look at yourself, you will see scars on your lovely face." That kind of thinking hits you at this stage of your life - not in your 20s. And you sure don't want some middle-aged woman you don't know getting into your business. So, I smiled, thanked her, and left.

As I walked to her car, I regretted my decision. Why didn't her mom or grandma or boyfriend or SOMEONE tell her how lovely she is, just as God made her? Why does our society encourage people to embellish themselves with things that they will regret in their later years? Why didn't she feel pretty enough....

Then, I thought of my girls. Dana - Erin; the most beautiful girls I've ever known, inside and out. I hope I told them that enough.