the beautiful mess*
diving in
THE DEEP END
O
ur hair was freshly styled. Our makeup professionally done. We were wearing gorgeous glam clothes. “Let’s jump into the pool for this one!” said Jane, with a wicked glint of mischief in her eyes as we wrapped up the photoshoot. Both our husbands had been out of town for the week, meaning we had each been “home alone” trying to cope with one of those relentless, demanding weeks – extra parenting and extra problemsolving had left us walking that edge of sanity where if you stop concentrating for a minute, you’ll go off the deep end. It was a disgustingly hot day, and the cool pool looked so tempting. Jess knew there would be something so liberating about leaping into a swimming pool fully dressed. It seemed wild, silly, awkward and exhilarating – in fact, just plain fun which was something she longed for after the rigid responsibility of solo parenting for a week. She hesitated. “But my hair and makeup are so nice. I was kind of thinking it would be great to make it last,” she sheepishly
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SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO TAKE THE PLUNGE, AGREE JANE AND JESS admitted. Have you ever been tempted to let your hair down and throw caution to the wind? Had an opportunity to embrace a spontaneous moment of silliness at the expense of composure? Have you ever felt reluctant to give up on the cover up? Jess really needed her hair and make-up to stay in place
What does your inner life long for? Can you truly have a deeper sense of peace while you hold on to the shallow sense of perfectionism? Facing that depth about ourselves requires a deep breath, because one day you’ll have to decide if it’s worth it. You’ll have to choose if the joy of connection is worth the vulnerability of letting go
because on the inside she was feeling out of sorts. It’s something so many of us do. We keep the exterior layered and painted, while our interior lives feel safe, lifeless and grey. Some would perhaps say boring. So often we are gallantly holding it all together on the outside but it’s really on the inside that we need a source of energy to draw from. What do you cover up with?
Picture: Val Adamson of control. Is it worth diving into the deep end of life, fully clothed with everyone watching? Luckily, Jess had Jane. Someone to grab her hand and stand alongside her. Someone who would take the leap and put herself out there in that vulnerable space between the paving and the pool. And when they both came up for air, it was not only the sheer hilarity,
w w w . t h e r i d g e o n l i n e . c o . z a
but also the shared joy that they emerged with. It was a rush. A relief. It was ridiculous – but it was totally worth it. After fishing Jane’s sunglasses off the bottom of the pool, Jess peeled her no-longer-straightened hair off her face. “That was brilliant! Just what I needed. Honestly, Jane, that was totally worth it. Let’s do it again!” Which is exactly what we did – only because the photographer told us we’d messed up the shot. It was a beautiful mess, which is very on-brand for us. The deep dive was just the beginning – but the conversation continues in The Beautiful Mess Podcast on www.famousdurban.co.za. Jane opens up about the risk of taking off her signature sunglasses for this photoshoot, and what follows is a gorgeous dive into vulnerability. We’ll see you in the deep end!
Listen to Jane and Jess here, as they further unpack their thoughts!
