Mother Knows Best...

Well, I have finally caved.  Mom, you win, I'm waving the white flag of surrender.  Today I purchased real grown up anti-aging facial products.  Yes, mom, of course I bought the Target knock off brand!  Do you think I'm made of money?!

My mother has been preaching to me about proper skin care since I was in high school.  I've always been pretty arrogant about my skin.  I never had to go through any breakouts in high school and if I did get the stray pimple, my beloved freckles were standing guard ready to camouflage it.  I have never been one to wear a lot (if any) make up, so I've never seen the point of washing my face before bed...I KNOW I KNOW!  It's like a cardinal sin of womanhood, I get it.

Over the years I've considered diving in and paying more attention to my skin.  I even made it a New Year's Resolution in 2014, but we all know how those turn out.  It didn't last more than 2 weeks.  I bought the fancy expensive organic stuff at the home party thinking THAT would get me to do it.  Nope.  I just used it in the mornings in the shower, even though I was told at aforementioned party that if I slept with a dirty face that I'd turn into a monster (or something to that effect).

My overconfidence is not helped by the fact that my mother and grandmother have AMAZING skin and do not look anywhere close to their ages.  They've always been like that, so I've got good skin genes.  Plus, I'm still basically 16 in my mind so I've got plenty of time to worry about that. (no?) Then you add on a chronic health condition and raising three young kiddos from hard places and suddenly good skin care isn't even in the realm of priorities.

After this last major surgery, and horrific endless recovery, I could see the stress of it on my face.  What?  It can't be!  My 16 year old skin has finally started to crack under the pressure.  I finally admitted to myself that the only reason that my Me-me and my mom have such great skin is because they've been regimented about taking care of it for decades.

If you know me at all you may have picked up on the fact that I could give a crap about what other people think of me (to a fault according to my mother ;) ) and I'm not one to care much what I look like.  I've left the house before looking like a mess on many occasions because I just don't even think to check the mirror before walking out.  My motivation you see is not vanity, it lies with my dear mother.  You think she hounds me about this skin care thing now?  Wait until I'm 40 or 60!  Since my Me-me has lived so long I know my mother will too and her filter and self control about nagging me on such issues will only get worse.  I can hear her now, "You know, if you had listened to me in your 30s and started using that Olay stuff I told you about your skin wouldn't looks so....rough."  Or, "Honey, you really ought to have something done about those wrinkles, they're really aging you."  She will forever haunt me about it ya'll!!

So, mark this down as a win for both of us I guess.  I'm sure I'll thank her when I'm 60, and people don't think I'm too old to have 12 Ethiopian kids...LOL!  Love you Mom!