It’s wicked difficult to take a picture of your own hand. I just tried to, in order to add an element of artistic interest to this post, and it came out scary so I decided not to use the picture. Now I know why they pay hand models the big bucks. It’s really had to get a good angle when it’s your own hand too. So I guess the real money is made by hand models who are also top photographers.
Anyway, for lo these past twenty years or so I have been resolving to get nice fingernails. Not the Lee Press On variety, but letting my natural nails grow a little and not messing with them. I have very thin and weak nails, plus I am beset with a lifelong bad habit of fiddling with my nails and cuticles all the time.
My impetus for really kicking the bad habit this year is twofold: first, I’ve noticed that Hannah has started to put her fingers in her mouth while announcing she has a hangnail. She imitates me in everything which has made me more aware of my faults. I don’t want Hannah to have the same nailbiting habits I have had, so I am quitting. Second, I’m going to be 30 in eleven months, and I figure 30 year olds mostly have things together, so I should not bite my nails. I think I’ll age more gracefully if I don’t have the nails of a neurotic 8 year old!
To those ends, I started my resolution around Christmas time. I had my nails painted with clear polish to dissuade me from bothering them, and it worked fairly well. My mom gave me a great new shade of OPI nailpolish in my Christmas stocking (it’s called “Smokin’ In Havana” and it’s a golden warm light red color) and I’ve been using that on my nails since New Year’s Eve. So far so good. It took a while to get used to having red nails. At first every time I glanced down I thought, “Oh snap! I’m bleeding from the fingertips!” Now I’m used to it though and I think the effect is quite nice and even somewhat sophisticated.
Now that I’ve confessed my resolution, I hope I actually stick to it, so y’all don’t point and laugh. Or at least so you don’t point and laugh about my fingernails! 
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Hi, I'm Catherine Gillespie and A Spirited Mind is where I post about reading, writing, and parenting and the lessons I'm learning as a result. Thanks for stopping by!
