Only If

She stood staring at the mirror.

She could barely recognize the reflection staring back at her.

The reflection did not fit into any of the boxes that people used to call one beautiful.

These boxes choked her body and made her heart feel so much less magnificent than it was made to be.

Only if,

She was slimmer around the waist

Only if,

She had glassy skin that reminded one of honey.

Only if,

Her heartfelt more accepted for what it could feel rather than the appearance of the body bearing it

Somehow it felt like this "only if" had followed her throughout her journey of life

It always felt like the covering of a gift mattered more to the society than what the gift held within the cover.

Having stared at the mirror long enough, she wondered if this idea of "only if " was a mere excuse she had been giving to herself so that she did not have to face the challenge of actually opening the gift called life.

Maybe,

Maybe,

She had been her own obstacle all along

Now, this did not dawn on her after having seen or heard something inspirational,

This feeling dawned on her after looking at her own self long enough to realize that the role that she had been trying to play all her life just to be desired and accepted and wanted was a role that had no significance whatsoever in the reality of her own heart.

Life was too short to let the cover of the gift hold you back.

Only if,

You have the courage to look at yourself long enough without self-criticism would you realize that nothing really matters except what you decide to let it be.

She finally walked outside, empty of all doubt of who she had to be to fit into the drama of everyday life, and full of love for the fact that she had the power to create her own creation.

Only if, we hold the courage to walk out of the role we play to be accepted and step into our own power, will we realize that the gift within us is more beautiful than any cover.