A Little Girl's Self Image

When I was in middle school, I went through a very awkward stage.  I had glasses and braces and the cruelty of the pre-adolescents around me was, as I look back on it, pretty significant.  I mean, I still remember it after all these years so it's fair to say those hurtful comments have followed me through my adulthood.  For me, one of the saving graces of those hard years was when I got contact lenses.  My glasses were put away and I felt a new confidence.  Since then, I have never gone more than a day or two without my contacts.  They are my vanity crutch.  For 20 plus years, I have associated my glasses with a lot of the hurtful things children said to me in my childhood, therefore, wearing them makes me very uncomfortable.

That's why when the eye doctor told me on Tuesday that I had an eye infection that would render me contact-less for 6 to 8 weeks, I almost cried.  But I didn't...I sucked it up and got over it real fast because...

Did you know that one of the biggest factors impacting a little girl's self image is her mother's own self image and perception of beauty? In other words, if I want Gabriella, Marielle, and Genevieve to have a strong self-image that is capable of conquering the unhealthy images of perceived beauty around them, I have got to (for lack of a better phrase) get it together! I can't afford to let anyone or anything be a bigger influence on how my children feel about themselves than me.  Each time my daughters hear me scrutinize something about my appearance, it sends a message.  Over time, those little messages send bigger messages.  Those bigger messages help shape their self-image. 

It's not just mothers who hold the power, though.  Fathers have a huge influence on how their daughters feel about themselves, too.  Fathers have to make a conscious effort to think about what messages they send about women to their daughters.  It's no coincidence that Gabriella's face lights up when Rick tells her she's beautiful.  Seeing all the ways Rick can find beauty in the women around him is shaping the image Gabriella has of herself. 

Five years ago, if faced with the same glasses wearing 'sentence' I would have come up with a variety of excuses to keep me from being in public.  Not this time around, though!  I can't let my own discomfort send any little messages to my girls.  So, I'm rockin' the glasses!  In fact, I asked Gabriella how I looked in my glasses and she said, "Mommy, you look beautiful!"  

You know what?  She's right.  I do!

Thank you, God, for letting me find You in my beauty.  Because of that, I hope GG and the twins will see You in their's.

Love,

Mary

And since we're on the topic of beauty, a few pictures of GG putting on her chapstick or "liptik!"