Wear your best sari
We were sitting in the van in Dhaka waiting for a member of our group to return with bottled water. A woman stood beside the open door of the van boldly staring at me and my camera. She was beautiful. “Can I take your picture?” I asked, and then gestured with the camera pointed at her face. I think one of my companions may have translated my English into Bangla for her. When she didn’t protest, I snapped a picture. Turning the camera around, I pointed to her image in the display window.
She lifted her hand as if to say stop. I wondered if I’d made a mistake, but then I watched her carefully peel away the black shawl she was wearing over her head. Underneath was a vivid blue and gold sari. She arranged it lovingly around her face and then pointed to the camera again. I snapped another picture and showed her again. Her face showed her pleasure.
I’m not sure why she covers her beautiful sari with black. Perhaps she’s a widow? Perhaps it’s a religious requirement? Perhaps her husband doesn’t want her to be too flashy when she’s out on the street? Perhaps it helps her stay under the radar?
Whatever the case, I couldn’t be more pleased that underneath the dark she proudly (and perhaps rebelliously) wears a splash of colour! I feel so lucky that she honoured me by revealing it.
What do you do to keep some colour in your life? How do you rebel against convention – even if the rebellion is hidden and secret?
Try it – if you have to wear a uniform or business suit to work, put your favourite sassy t-shirt underneath. If your religion requires a head-covering, wear bold earrings underneath. If you’re stuck in a boring job in a drab office, paint your walls at home with blazes of colour. When you’re with people you trust, peel off the black shawl and show off the real you.
Find a way to wear your best sari, even if you have to cover it with black.
Hi, I'm Heather Plett. I'm excited that you've stopped by to learn more about how we can make the world a better place through the sharing of our gifts and creativity. I've been thinking about these topics for a lot of years now. Through my work in creative communication, workshop facilitation, fundraising, leadership training, and freelance writing, I've gathered a lot of wisdom and stories from my own experiences and the experiences of the people I've been blessed with knowing.
You certainly have an eye for beauty…this woman is incredibly beautiful.
I love that she wanted you to see her “in colour” and not just in black!
You have inspired me today. You’ve reminded me about wearing pretty under garments…not that anyone else sees them, but we know they are there and that alone is enough. Why not make ourselves feel special and only we know what joy we are giving ourselves.
I love this story heather and this womans face is incredible . A real face. Not a supermodel brushed faace but a face that I could get lost in, a face that shows life and strength and a Real Beauty . Eyes that seem to have a story behind them . HUGS!!!
Beautiful photos and story, Heather! What amazing eyes she has!
I couldn’t live without color. It seems that over the past few years, a rainbow has thrown up in my closet. I live in Seattle, which is gray and cloudy much of the year. Most people here match their wardrobe to the weather, but I have to do the opposite. Color makes me happy and makes me feel like I’m expressing my creativity, even when I’m sitting at a desk at my day job.
Love this. Thank you.
First, wow. That woman is beautiful, and I’m swooning over that colorful sari. I love how you describe her joy at showing you her “true colors.”
Many of my clothes are classic because they all harmonize that way, and budget and space constraints prevent me from going too nuts. However, I have a drawerful of colorful scarves and most of my jewelry is handmade and, therefore, one-of-a-kind. I’ve started wearing more colorful t-shirts/sweaters under all of my black and brown as well.
Wow, what a beautiful woman! I so happy she showed you her sari. That is a great story.
Sherry I remembered when I started to wear the sexy, pretty under garments just for me. I worked at a very conservative Christian non-profit with a dress code stuck in the 50s. So I would wear sexy undies under all those conservative clothes for some of “me.”