Naked and Afraid

Today I started a little bit of a journey. During November there is the classic celebration of beards, "No Shave November." It's the embracing of total manhood by the means of growing facial hair. It's the pride and joy of a man to have a furry face. But what about for the ladies? I mean, call me a feminist, but I think it's a little lame that us women can't have a celebration and liberation. I mean, I guess I could go the whole month without shaving my legs...but let's be real, I like furry knees as much as the man who's thinking about taking me out for coffee.

So for, me, I'm taking it back to my face with less focused on what I'm putting on, and more on what I'm taking off. "No make-up November"! In resonance with the Season of the Tree, I am going to embrace my natural beauty. Refusing to hide those circles under my eyes, or the lips I wish were fuller. I am who I am. A treasure.

However, beauty is more than skin deep, and so is a season of embracing every part of me. Exposing my many layers, as the tree looses its leaves, it's glory and lies bare before the elements. So I dare to let my entire being find freedom.

I am learning I am more than what I do. I am who I am. I am a being. Letting my walls fall down, the face fall off. The charade comes to an end as the lipstick fades and eyeliner rubs off. I see the sleep deprived eye lids and a half-beating heart. I see that I am everything and nothing all at once. I'm discovering what I am and what I'm not. Peeling back the layers, I discover intimacy with myself, and force myself to be content with what I am now, and look forward to the willing embrace I hope to find.