What do you see when you look in the mirror?

I see a faint trace of freckles that came to the surface during sunny days long gone. I see pink cheeks, always pink cheeks. I see dark circles under my eyes, a permanent feature irrelevant of the quality of my previous night's sleep.

I see a face that is somewhere in-between losing its youthful sparkle forever and starting to show age.

I see skin lovingly plumped by skincare products handed down by my mother after I showed up at home a month ago with a suitcase lacking in moisturiser (an unthinkable crime, it would seem).

I see thin hair - one of few things that I'm not used to. My once thick hair that I took for granted has been gradually thinning, a side effect of stress I haven't welcomed.

I see someone coming to terms with the transiency of life. The belief that things can and do change is slowly starting to sink in, because what's the worst that can happen in a life that flies past without leaving a dent on the world?

Despite my future being uncertain, I see my natural expression begin to warm as I relearn the virtues of being calm and positive. There's the kind of sparkle in my eye that can only come from a recent and slight shift in perception. The stubbornness that's been with me all my life is starting to melt around the edges.

I see something that looks like assuredness in my eyes - is it despondency or is there a glint of something much better than that? I see the one side of my lip in a slight smile, which is how it naturally falls when I'm subconsciously thinking of something that makes me happy. Or when I'm in public, trying to combat Bitchy Resting Face.

I used to look in the mirror and wish I was skinnier, prettier, taller. But for now, those thoughts are long gone. My mind doesn't have the room to care anymore, and it's a freeing feeling. I'm happy with how I look now, but some days I do miss my younger years, when my thighs were all my thoughts were consumed by.

The face I see in the mirror is a resolute one. It's a face that's learning, growing and appreciating much more than it used to, including itself.