Memories and Beauty

Saw some old pictures and found couple of my favorites of my Dad. It’s been around seven years since he passed away but it feels as if he is still with me and actually he is. Whenever I need his advice I could feel him around, guiding me- showing me the ropes.

Daddy

Birthday with Abbu, Amma, Kanwal, Fariha, Tabussum Aunty, Saman & Touseef ul Haq

I don’t like to talk about my relationships especially the people who are no longer with me, it frightens me. This father’s day I so much wanted to write about my father but there were so many things that jumped right between me and my writing, and probably that was not even the right time.

I don’t get this father’s day or mother’s day. What are these? I don’t understand the logic except that it is a great marketing stint for manufacturers. Every day is a father and a mother day. Why does it have to be that one particular day that we are showering our parents with so many facebook and twitter updates?

These social networking sights are wonderful to connect us with our loved ones, to do business. Yet it all looks so fake, people are fighting with each other, yet holding hands on facebook. Girls wearing makeup all the time, straightening their hair for that perfect profile. Resultantly, we see a bombardment of light and all day make up products, accompanied by hair gel or oil or serum or whatever.

Consequences of all that hair heating and tons of unnecessary face products and makeup are damaged hair and skin, so we have a new product line which will magically repair the damage and give us shiny hair and the Kylie Jenner “Glowing Skin” equals to billions of dollars in the bank accounts of cosmetic companies.

The Global Cosmetic market is estimated to reach 675 billion USD by 2020 growing at a rate of 6.4%.The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. earned $10.78 billion in 2015 net sales, whereas L'Oréal 2016 first quarter sales is 6.55 billion euros. That’s a lot of money.

And we as female consumers sheepishly go in search of skin and hair that actually does not exist. All the images that we see on the internet and magazines are all air brushed and filtered. Truth of the matter is that our skin and hair can only be beautiful if we eat healthy and live right, and of course accept ourselves as we are.

Whatsoever you decide to buy or change- your love, appreciation and respect for yourselves should never be cosmetized.

Love thyself, my friends.

Have a great weekend!

Sonya Syed. (Day 558)