Super Mom Eyes

Hello Beautiful SuperMoms!

Do you remember the first time you held your baby after birth? Do you remember how oft you would find yourself just staring at her? Analyzing all the details in her little wrinkle-free face. Can you recall the smoothness to her chubby cheeks? Or how pointy her chin was?

Maybe you don’t remember every single little detail, but I am sure you can recall the feelings. There was love and admiration in your eyes. All you wanted to do was sit, gaze and catalogue every perfect little feature.  It seemed her face was yours to treasure.

How old is that baby now? Is she 1, 10 or 16 years old? She learned to crawl, walk and then run off with her friends right before your eyes.  It is possible that she will never recall the way you used to look at her. Of course you will always remember those precious early days, in fact, although it is probably from across the room, you still observe her as intently as you did on day one.

Truth is, you were once a baby. Your mom most likely held you close enough to count every eyelash, caress your sweet nose and give you butterfly kisses. She spent hours each day memorizing each and every detail on your face, like you have done with your babies. But, such is life that you can’t remember.

You have to wonder... How would life be different, how would your perception change if you could remember that sacred time with your mother? If only you could see with your own eyes the way she would look at you when she had the time to hold you close enough to see the tiny hairs on your ears. Imagine how you might feel about yourself if you could see yourself the way your mother sees you.

I have met so many women, especially mothers, who have stopped seeing themselves. Some won’t even look at themselves in a mirror or shriek at the thought of being in a picture. Most, however, don’t mind the mirror and the picture, but are still blinded to their own beauty. They are quick to put on their make-up (for the record I am not anti make-up), quick to point out their flaws, shun signs of aging and criticize their body shape.

It is sad to witness because through my eyes and my lens I see them. There are no harsh judgments and never anything I would change. I take their picture with no make-up on, looking carefully at their face, inspecting it to make sure I capture their true beauty. I love what I do because for a moment, they allow me to see their raw beauty. But I have learned over and over again that they don’t see what I see. I want to change that. But I am powerless to change the eyes of the beholder.

If you struggle to see yourself, now is the time to change that. How? SuperMomTest it!

Today spend a full minute looking at yourself in the mirror. Then do this every day for the next 7 days. Look at yourself as you would your new baby. Imagine the way your mother might have looked at you. Make no judgements, just observations. Take mental notes or write down the thoughts that come to you.

Count your lashes. Count your freckles. Pull your hair back to reveal your hairline. Smile. Laugh. Frown. Take note of how experiences and emotions have shaped the lines on your face. Look straight into your own eyes. What do you see? Can you see the beauty you were born with, the beauty that is resident in your soul, that radiates in your reflection? My hope is that you will.

To see yourself is true beauty. A superpower in and of itself.

I welcome your comments and would love to hear what you discover about yourself over the next week!


Wendy Santiano is a mother of five. She is flawed and beautiful. She loves to help others see themselves for who they really are through her writing and photography. Wendy currently lives in Kaysville, UT. To Learn more about Wendy you can visit her over at bedheadmom.com