I really took the effort to dress up this morning.

I looked at myself in the mirror.
So different.

A part of me criticizes myself for being so vain.
Another, compliments me for daring to opt for a different look.

Inside me, I know I feel good.
This feeling reminds me of stories about women who began feeling better about themselves;
just because they put on make-up.

Old women in foster home who were suffering from depression, reacted well when the therapist encourages them to put on make up.
It was like miracle.
The women were suddenly smiling at their reflections.

Another story.
I read in Kabul, the women still defiantly put on make-up despite being forced to wear a burqa all the time.
The reason is actually for themselves, and nothing more.
They wanted to retain a little identity of themselves as a method of keeping their spirits alive.

Ah, who would have guessed that make-up can be so powerful?