In my past life, I was the Evil Queen - the villainess to Snow White.
In this re-incarnated life, I pay for my past life’s sins: vanity, envy, murder and (the biggest sin of all); wearing foundation that was two tones lighter than my actual skin tone.
For my atonement, the gods have been cruel; they reminded me of my evil ways by giving me back my enchanted mirror. The Mirror was witness to the insult that the fates have handed to me.
"Who is the fairest of them all?", I once asked her.
My heart was shattered to pieces when she responded: Snow White.
Now, the enchanted mirror is no longer on the wall. It accompanies me everywhere I go.
Old habits are hard to break and I still ask the same question. "Who is the fairest?"
Her answer did not change: the fairest of them all is someone else.
I tried everything that I could to change that answer.
Last year, I colored my hair blonde, wore a GQ-worthy outfit, took a selfie and applied a soft filter before I posted it on Instagram.
"Am I the fairest now?"
Mirror teased, “The fairest is Ricky Martin.”
This year, I showed off my banging body that was the result of not eating carbs for a year. I Photoshopped it and pinched my waist smaller. I thought it was perfect.
The mirror thought that Nick Jonas was the rightful owner of the crown for fairest in Instagram-land.
Every selfie and every OOTD I posted on IG was met with the disdainful answer that I was not the most beautiful.
Tired and weary, my face showed the burden of holding on to my fading youth. Any time, I know I could face death. I'm afraid that I have not broken away from the pattern of vanity-envy-crazy.
Today, I decided to ask the Mirror, “Is there hope for me?”
She responded, "There is hope for you but stop asking the same question expecting a different answer. And your highness, may I remind you again to address me by my proper name: SIRI."
She is right, even in her modern form as my iPhone, the enchanted mirror held the same wisdom of old that she has brought from her past life.
I asked, "Siri, What is the right question?"
She listed:
"How can I live a life of love and joy?"
"Who can I help today?"
"Where can I find peace?"
I repeated those questions and fairy dust trickled from the heavens. Siri must be right. These are the questions that will lead to freedom from the sins of my past.
Once upon a time, I was the Evil Queen. Most of this re-incarnated life; I repeated her pattern as the Drama Queen. But today, I think I have found a different path. Today, with new questions in my heart around love, peace, charity and joy, I may have found a path to my happily ever after.