Teenagers have it rough with a capital T. Well, puberty has never been kind to most. Changes that are physical, emotional, intellectual, and psychological arrive unannounced. It is a ‘difficult to comprehend’ kinda phase. Having said that, the other side, believe me, could put warring nations to shame. Because the one thing more strenuous than being a teenager is being mother to one who is on the thresholds of womanhood. And so it came to pass, for my mother willed it so much – the armour was donned, and the imaginary(or so I think) swords were drawn, with a battle cry loud enough to get the temple bells ringing dramatically.
The princess is on the last-leg of her tweens. I can see the subtle changes, even though, in the depth of my heart, I wish she stays here a little longer. Her face has begun to fill out in definite features, and she has shot up to match my height, almost. She is merely a shoe size smaller than me, and reminds me of me, especially when she is hopping mad or upset about something. And boy, can she argue! Ah, chip of the old block, I tell you.
A stickler for cleanliness, as of lately, she seemed to be preoccupied. I could tell by the indifference she showed towards her dresser, that otherwise was always to be arranged in a certain fashion. I pegged it down to tween mood swings, and let it rest at that. However, the vociferous person I have taught her to be, she had a question for me that weekend.
“What did you do for pimples, mom?”
So, that’s what was bothering this soon to be a teenager.
“Me? Don’t ask. Well, your nana would insist on giving me a concoction made out of neem leaves.”
“Really? Yuck!”
“Yup, she believed that cleansing the stomach would ease the problems. Hate to admit it, but she was right.”
“I am not drinking any of those ancient medicines. Isn’t there something easier?”
“You don’t need to, sweets. You are perfect. Besides, it’s always what is on the inside that matters.”
“You are just saying that coz you are my mom. I know it is what’s on the inside that matters. But it would be nice if the inside bits matched the outside as well, no? It’s plain coordination.”
And with a shrug of her shoulders, she was off doing something of insignificance. And there I was left wondering at the enormity of her words. The princess was not down and out with her pimple problem. She did not suffer from low self-esteem or such. Her self-worth did not come from merely her looks. However, at the same time, she was way more aware of the problem at hand, and was reaching out for the best solution. Her rationality to be able to match her ‘what you see is what you get’ had me impressed. In a world that is changing faster than you can say Justin Bieber, appearances were important. The present generation faces very different challenges due to an altered lifestyle. The pressures, the expectations, and the options are multi-level. It was of paramount importance that you put your best foot forward, and in doing so, if your body, mind and soul were coordinated, bonus brownie points to you.
Well, having roamed the teenage bylanes a long time ago, I was determined to get her a new-age solution. Not a quick fix, but perhaps, an easy to follow regime that would become a lifelong habit. I figured, for a start, if she invested in a good skin cleaning routine, she’d be on the right path. It was important to get the grime and pollution off the face. She could then work her diet and exercise for added efficiency. I knew I wanted something natural, so that it would be gentle on her skin. A product with Neem would definitely be an add-on. I chanced upon Garnier’s Pure Active Real Neem Face Wash, with pure Neem leaf extract and Tea Tree Oil extracts. It looked promising.
It has been close to two weeks that she has been using Garnier Pure Active, and she seems mighty pleased with the results. Her T zone seems less oily and her pores are unclogged. She says she can see the difference as her skin has been getting better. She was willing to give substantial proof as well. Yes, all seems to be well in our world, as of now.
You, too – TAKE CARE.
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