On an undisclosed recent day, I worked a birthday party. We put the makeup on the girls and did their hair, and do you know what everybody did? After the girls were all "dolled up", the moms just stood around and ooed and aahed over "how pretty they looked". And there it was. I saw the beginning of this self confidence problem that so many girls face their whole lives. From two and three years old, we are told that when we put on this fake mask, we are beautiful. We are told that when we become something that we are not we are the most ravishing we have ever looked. I am absolutely not saying that makeup and hair-dos and dressing up is a bad thing. I love getting dressed up, and thank goodness for makeup everyday! But I just don't understand why American culture starts telling girls at such a young age that they need to be something they are not. I think that is where the problem begins. Also, the other day I was in the store and about 4 or 5 little girls came in with a mom. They were all friends; all about age eight or nine. Anyway, one of the girls had the most beautiful hair I had ever seen! It was long and sandy blonde and thick. She happened to be the daughter of the mom. The girls left and the mom stayed behind to pay for some stuff. I told her how pretty her daughter was, and she just looked shocked. She said how she wishses she had been in here to hear that because she said that she had terrible self confidence issues and constantly cried because she didn't feel as pretty as her friends. It just amazes me that these issues, which I always associate with junior high girls, are starting younger and younger. Also, nobody really focuses on what's behind those pretty faces. Everybody says they want to look like their favorite model when in reality those girls do not have perfect lives. They struggle with body image just like the rest of us. I think everybody needs to take a step back and think about what they say to their kids at a young age. They say that moms who talk bad about themselves are far more likely to have little girls that struggle with image issues. So next time I talk bad about myself around someone else, I think I'm going to stop and think about who that could be affecting.
Wy
"Pretty is something you're born with. But beautiful, that's an equal opprotunity adjective."
"The KING is enthralled by your beauty; honor Him, for He is your Lord." -Psalm 45:11
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