Mirror mirror on the wall

Looking in the mirror, I wonder who on earth is staring back at me. I hardly recognise myself any more. Although I am fundamentally the same person I always was, my inner core remaining intact, the outer façade barely resembles the carefree young, laughing and smiling woman I once was. Smiling to have my picture taken the other day, I could feel my face distorting, and try as I might, my natural smile and shining eyes as if suddenly camera shy refused to co-operate. Thanks to today’s digital cameras, no film was wasted, but many shots had to be taken until finally a decent picture was achieved, which I'm sure was fluke rather than perseverance. I don’t mind the crow’s feet around my eyes which show I've laughed and had fun, or the wrinkles indicating I am old enough to have a little wisdom under my belt, nor the grey hairs that continue to appear adorning my head confirming I've lived life to the full and have an interesting story to tell. What does bother me is the thought of losing my smile, my facial expressions, and the twinkle in my eyes. I know I will still be “me” inside even when these are gone, but dear family and friends, I'm sure will notice these missing elements, and I only hope when that day comes, they realise I'm still very much here.