The Nowaday Cinderella: Always Watching

"Auntie Mel why are you doing that?"

I looked over from the bathroom mirror to see Christine's head cocked to the side analyzing what I was doing while holding her tooth brush and tooth paste in one hand. I couldn't help but smile at her puzzled face and looked back at myself in the mirror. I had dotted lotion all over my face, ready to smear it in.

" I do this so I can spread my lotion on my face evenly. It's easier to spread it all over this way."

I saw the wheels turning as she thought through what I had said. "Oh" was her response than she walked away.

Later on during tour I had Christine again and went to check on her and the the other girls getting ready. Running late and trying to get them out to the breakfast table before we left to the church. I looked at Christine and smiled. The young girl had dotted lotion all over her face.

"Christine what are you doing?"

"Dotting my lotion, it spreads easier." She stated back to me as a matter of fact.

I gave them a five minute warning and left.

When I was a little girl I remember one of my favorite things to do was watch my mom do her makeup for the day. I would watch in wonder at how she would put dots of foundation all over her face then rub it in, carefully making sure it was even. She was so exact at how to do the blush, eye shadow, eye liner and lipstick. I would ask questions and she would answer each one patiently. How I couldn't wait to do the same things.

I thought about Christine and how she had changed how she put her lotion on when I got back to my room.It was a real eye opener to be careful with what I did because I had 18 sets of young eyes watching me. I am not their birth mom, but I was left in charge with 9 other chaperones to watch and guide these 18 kids. How I reacted, what I said, how I dressed, who I was would influence them.Whether it be good or bad. They were watching.