A couple of months back, my girls and I were clothes shopping. My oldest girl grabbed a hat and put it on, they love playing dress up. As we are walking from rack to rack, their conversation turns to me, and my oldest asks, "Mom, how do I become beautiful?"
I was taken a back. I stopped in my tracks and I just stared at her for what felt like an hour but it was less than a minute. All these thoughts running through my head.
"Don't you know that you are already beautiful??" I responded. "Beauty is a gift that God gives all of us. But how you can become more beautiful is by being a smart girl. Be a good girl, do good in school and go to college."
A lady walking behind us told her, "listen to your mom, she is very smart!"
As we left, that thought has stayed with me. I don't know if I am over thinking it, but I wonder what my girls think of themselves. As in their self image. I don't think it is such a huge deal with boys, but girls? There is so much pressure and society's "ideals".
Growing up, my father always told my sisters and I that we were beautiful. Every time we got a lecture it was always "You have the looks, now it's time to work on developing your brains."
I'm not saying that I always felt pretty, I mean high school, ugh, I felt like a boy. lol! But, I never felt hung up on the way I looked. I remember some of my friends being depressed and even having eating disorders because they couldn't deal with the pressure of being a certain size or looking a certain way.
It is inevitable that my girls will grow up. Rose will be 10 and Taneyah 8 this year. And I hope that they are have the confidence in themselves to not fall into the pit falls of society's ideals. Since then, I remind them every morning while we are doing hair my father's words, "You are beautiful, now it's time to work on developing your brains."
I'm a girl and I'm not even sure if I am raising my girls right.. ugh. Anyone have a manual?? If so, please send it my way, thanks!
3 comments:
I could hear Dads voice as he would say that to us growing up..how blessed I feel to be reminded of how Dad would always tell us that & Mom would always sew us beautiful dresses,venture to make overalls when they were the "in" thing and any other crazy fad or style we thought we had to have lol :)
Neni and Neyah are BEAUTIFUL in every way, such sweet girls and also so smart! You're doing an AWESOME job Sis! Now I have my Eden and it's a good reminder for me! Thanks for the blog, Love You!!! :)
Hi Verlyn! I found your post looking through other people's blog and I must say that you have one of the best:) Love your writing and especially this post! You're definitely doing an awesome job with your daughters:) Hope all is well! Love you cousin!!
@Bea, aren't they great! Love them both dearly!
@Rina Hi cousin! Thanks for the comment, you are so sweet. Glad you found me, I'll be following your blog. Hope you are enjoying that Hawaii sun. Love ya!
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