This is Ms. Missy B with the Tea.
The other day, I was sitting at my vanity putting on makeup when one of those completely random thoughts popped into my head.
You know the kind.
The kind that starts with a simple question and somehow sends you down an internet rabbit hole at midnight.
My question was this:
How did people see themselves before mirrors existed?
As someone who gets curious about the strangest things, I had to know.
What I discovered wasn’t just a fascinating history lesson.
It also felt surprisingly relevant during June, which is Beautiful in Your Skin Month.
Because the history of mirrors isn’t just about reflections.
It’s about how we see ourselves.
And sometimes, how we judge ourselves.
Before Mirrors, There Was Water
Long before bathroom mirrors, ring lights, selfies, and front-facing cameras, people rarely saw a clear reflection of themselves.
Think about that for a moment.
Most people weren’t checking their appearance multiple times a day.
They weren’t zooming in on wrinkles.
They weren’t counting gray hairs.
They weren’t obsessing over every blemish, scar, or imperfection.
If they saw themselves at all, it was usually in still water.
A pond.
A lake.
A quiet stream.
And even then, the reflection wasn’t perfect.
It shifted.
It rippled.
It moved.
Maybe that’s not such a bad metaphor for life.
Because we’re constantly changing too.
The First Mirrors Ever Made
Around 8,000 years ago, humans began creating mirrors from polished obsidian, a naturally occurring volcanic glass.
For the first time, people could see themselves with greater clarity.
Later came mirrors made from polished copper, bronze, and silver.
These early mirrors weren’t perfect.
The reflections were darker.
Sometimes distorted.
Often blurry.
But they represented something remarkable:
Humanity’s desire to understand itself.
Thousands of years later, that desire hasn’t changed much.
We’re still trying to figure out who we are.
We’re just using better mirrors.
When Mirrors Were Worth a Fortune
For centuries, mirrors were considered luxury items.
During the Renaissance, master glassmakers in Venice created mirrors so valuable that some cost as much as a house.
Imagine explaining to someone today that the mirror hanging above your bathroom sink could buy a beachfront property.
People would think you’ve completely lost your mind.
Today, mirrors are everywhere.
In our homes.
In our cars.
In our purses.
On our phones.
In fact, most of us probably see our reflection dozens of times every day without even realizing it.
The Rise of the Modern Mirror
The modern mirror became widely available during the 1800s when silver-backed glass mirrors became more affordable.
For the first time in history, ordinary people could regularly see themselves clearly.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Because somewhere along the way, many of us stopped using mirrors simply to see ourselves.
Instead, we started using them to evaluate ourselves.
To critique ourselves.
To compare ourselves.
To measure ourselves against impossible standards.
And honestly?
That’s a heavy burden to place on a piece of glass.
Beautiful in Your Skin Month: A Reminder We Need
June is Beautiful in Your Skin Month.
And if I’m being honest, I think many of us need that reminder more than ever.
The mirror isn’t the problem.
The reflection isn’t the problem.
The problem is often the story we tell ourselves while looking into it.
We focus on:
- The weight we haven’t lost
- The wrinkles we wish weren’t there
- The scars
- The stretch marks
- The chronic illnesses
- The surgeries
- The things we’d change if we could
We become experts at finding flaws.
Meanwhile, we completely overlook the evidence of our strength.
What If We Looked Deeper?
What if we looked beyond the surface?
What if we saw resilience?
What if we saw wisdom?
What if we saw someone who survived things that should have broken them?
What if we saw someone rebuilding their life one day at a time?
As someone living with chronic illness, navigating weight loss after bariatric surgery, and learning to embrace every season of life, I know firsthand how easy it is to focus on what isn’t perfect.
But perfection was never the goal.
Living was.
Healing was.
Growing was.
Showing up was.
And sometimes that deserves a little more recognition than the number on a scale.
The Reflection That Matters Most
The history of mirrors is really the history of humanity trying to see itself.
But seeing yourself and understanding your worth are two very different things.
One requires eyesight.
The other requires perspective.
So here’s my challenge to you.
The next time you look into a mirror, pause for a moment before criticizing what you see.
Instead, look for evidence of your life.
The laugh lines from years of joy.
The scars from battles you’ve survived.
The strength it took to keep going.
The courage it takes to keep becoming.
Because beauty isn’t perfection.
Beauty is authenticity.
Beauty is resilience.
Beauty is growth.
Beauty is showing up, even when life gets messy.
And that, my friends, is far more powerful than anything a mirror could ever reflect.
Stay classy, sassy, and remember:
You are so much more than your reflection.
— Ms. Missy B
Join the Conversation
When you look in the mirror, what’s one thing about yourself you’re learning to appreciate?
I’d love to hear your answer in the comments.
Leave a Reply