She, Me and the Mirror

Every morning, I wake up looking at my best friend’s face, and every night, I fall asleep looking at her face. When I look in the mirror, I can easily see her. She is the one who understands me and accepts me as I am. I can’t go a day without talking to her. I can feel her presence. I criticize her for every mistake she makes, and sometimes I punish her emotionally and even physically. But then I regret it, thinking that I may have hurt her too much. Wise people say that we shouldn’t hurt or criticize ourselves too much because it can make us feel inferior and gradually weaken our belief in ourselves. Losing faith in oneself is a terrible thing. So, I started loving the person in the mirror. Sometimes, I flatter myself so much that I become overconfident, and then I feel like a narcissist. I get confused. Some people say that we should love ourselves, while others say that we should criticize ourselves. Then I realized that we should do both, but within limits. Balancing self-love and self-criticism can make a person better. So, sometimes I encourage my friend who lives in the mirror, and sometimes I criticize her—not harshly, but with love, helping her understand her mistakes. Because I can’t bear to see her in pain. Talking to her gives me a sense of relief. That is why I love solitude. I love my mirror friend.