But I Smile Anyway…

This really rang true when I read it.

There was a time when it really mattered to me, what everyone thought of me.  I needed to be the good girl, the respectable girl, so I would do everything that was expected, within the family. ( and I still do..)

I would need to be thought of as fun so I acted like the clown at school. Heck with the hair and glasses I had then I was never going to be cool, so funny was good!

I felt the need to be liked and admired at university, so I was there, doing all the cool stuff, dressing up, accentuating the swan-ness that had occurred, after I blossomed I guess ( no more ugly duckling!)

Then I got married, and the pressures to fit certain ideals were still there, from being the good daughter in law, to a perfect wife and fantastic mother.

You know what, I fitted all those ideals but as I got older, I tweaked them… I realised I don’t have to try so hard, I’m pretty ok the way I am! At universily, after a few months, I couldn’t be bothered to doll up, just for lectures, like a lot of people I knew. Instead I saved that rigmarole for when I actually went out, and it was a lovely thing to get compliments from friends, who saw the difference, as opposed to some people I knew who had to look ‘just so’ at all times, so when we went anywhere, they looked no different, and they would be the miffed ones, when there was no compliment!

And as I have matured, I realise that the sacrifices that may have been made by our mothers before us, aren’t really sacrifices we have to make now.  I put my family first, my own little family.  Then everyone else comes after.  Our partners, children,  parents and siblings are the important ones.  As long as they are ok, I really couldn’t give a monkey’s arse what anyone else thinks!

And, if you are religious, you should know, that whatever you do, however you act, Him up there, He sees everything.  He knows whether you are good or bad, right or wrong, and when judgement day comes, it all comes out anyway!

So me, I’m happy being me. I know I’ve made mistakes in the past.. boy have I made mistakes! But I have always tried to rectify them, and I have never intentionally gone out to hurt anyone.

And as it says above, Like it or lump it, this is the Ritu you are gonna get! (Unless you find another blogger called Ritu out there!)

Have a wonderful Thurdsay Peeps! And remember to be you!!!