True Love Never Lies- Especially in the Aisles of an Old Navy

This morning I packed the kids in the car and headed over to my favorite shopping place- Old Navy.  I absolutely love Old Navy- I buy almost every article of clothing any of us wear from this one store.  There is always a sale, I always have a coupon and I can shop online, late at night in my pajamas.  Best of all if I order something with always free shipping and don't like it or it doesn't fit, I can return it tot he store free of charge.

Today I had four items to return so the boys with their Nintendo DS's accompanied me on my journey where we were met by the great wheel of prizes.  They spun for me and I won a $10 coupon.  It was awesome!  I was there to return stuff and before I even made it to the register, they handed me a coupon.  A coupon for the coupon queen.  I love a deal and a coupon will give me so much joy that I can barely contain it.  My half full glass fills up to overflowing when a coupon is available!

As I shopped the sales and piddled around the store, I ran into my dear friend.  In less than sixty seconds she denounced my love of black and insisted I wear color.  Oh and she demanded that I color my hair to cover the grey area at my temples.

Now, my friends, that is true love.

Instead of dancing around the subjects I know she wanted to discuss, she came right out and demanded I do something.  Could I have been offended?  Yeah, I could have.  Was I?  Nope.  I know she just loves me and true love never lies.

So I bought a bright red top.

I now have a red top, a purple sweater and a turquoise sweater tucked in among the blacks, greys, browns and blues.  I am making progress.

Wearing colors takes confidence and I severely lack in confidence on a regular basis.  Motherhood and gravity have not been overly kind to me and thanks to a myriad of health issues out of my control, several ineffective fad diets and dozens of binge-purge cycles, I will never have the sort of body that I feel belongs in bright patterns and pretty prints.  In fact, I will even admit that I hide behind dark colors, ill fitting clothes and plain styles most days of the week.  I figure if I blend into the background no one will notice that I am no longer the picture of what I was at 25.

I have struggled with this distorted sense of self image most of my life and although I mostly successful at ignoring it, I avoid a camera at all costs and rarely look at any image of my reflection without wanting to cry.

So today, thanks to the love of a good friend, I took control of my destiny for just a moment and bought the beautiful ruby colored top instead of its olive green companion.  Hopefully I will have the nerve to wear it.

I long for the day in my life when I have the confidence to dance down the street in my red hat and purple pumps and not give a damn what anyone thinks.  For now I will settle for one beautiful red shirt and a friend who gives it to me straight ever single time.

Thanks, C!  You know I love you too!