THE EYES ARE THE WINDOW TO THE SOUL

We have a "photo wall" in our flat. All our favourite photos are there. My children in their various stages of growth, from babies, to toddlers, school photos (some I see have teeth missing in their grade 1 photos!) a few shots of them in their teens, and then as adults. The girls, Shirley Ann, Kerry Lyn and Lisa Jane all looking identical and 1 year apart.

I remember no one ever knowing which one was which ......"I saw one of your girls today, don't know which one, they all look the same..." They became known as The Nimmo Girls in school - but actually they were the original Spice Girls. I will tell you why.

This morning I studied the face of each one taken by a professional photographer when they were very young. Thats when I realised that cliches have been around for every because they are true. THE EYES ARE THE WINDOW TO THE SOUL.

They may have all looked the same on the outside, but inside and were and are 3 very different people. In Shirley's eyes I saw gentleness, in Kerry's eyes I saw tolerance and acceptance and in Lisa's eyes, mischief and humour.

I reflected on each of them and saw the people they have become, it was there so many years ago, reflected in their eyes as little children, other qualities emerged as the years have gone by and they have each been touched by joy, sadness, pain and suffered knocks along the way. So each has become like a fingerprint, a unique person who could never be replaced.

They had some fun with the likeness in looks, and they came clean once they had grown and told me of some of the things that they managed to get up to and get away with! They told me this story. Shirley was the first to get her ID book. They would all go to a club (unbeknown to us), Shirley produced her ID and went to the ladies, there she passed her ID book to Kerry, who entered the night club on the same ID, she in turn went to the ladies and yes, you guessed, passed it to Lisa who also had fun in the nightclub! I am so glad I only found these things out once they were grown and had survived.

Brian on the other hand was a late lamb. He was the opposite to his sisters in more ways than one! His colouring was opposite favouring my side of the family. In his eyes as a tot I saw gentleness, mischief and determination. That is the child he grew into and the adult he became. I discovered that boys were far more independant than girls, stubborn and physical too. Chancers, risk takers and they can be very single minded! I am glad that as a baby his eyes did not give everything away, I would have had a nuclear melt down if I knew then what I know now. BLESS ALL YOU MUMS WHO ONLY HAVE SONS!

But I survived and so did he.

Its the eyes, all in the eyes.