Being a girl is hard. Especially today, living in a world of unrealistic expectations, rampant eating disorders, bullying, and peer pressure. We are constantly reminded of what the media thinks we should look like from the heavily Photoshopped images we see plastered on our tv screens, magazines, bus shelters and billboards. There is virtually no escaping it.
As a girl who grew up with major self image issues, and a woman who continually struggles with feelings of not being good enough, I was absolutely appalled when this graphic showed up in my Instagram feed today.
After I threw up a little, I was outraged. Outraged at the message, outraged at the people who liked it, outraged at the person who wrote it, but most of all I was outraged that my young daughter has to live in a world with messages like this.
Every girl is beautiful. PERIOD.
Everyone is beautiful. PERIOD.
We are all unique and beautiful and this fact alone should be celebrated. No “right guy” should ever be responsible for discovering one’s own beauty.
I will teach my daughter that beauty is not just to be seen, but to be felt, experienced, shared and embraced. Beauty comes from within and is a quality that we all possess.
Beauty is not just skin deep, and does not just take the right guy to see it.