Do You Feel Beautiful?

~ She-Ra

IMG_20170502_103040_320“You look beautiful!” my daughter exclaimed when she saw me standing in the kitchen this morning.  I was dressed in sweat pants, a baggy old sweater that had seen better days, and my hair had been hastily pulled back into a messy bun.  My body was slumped tiredly against the counter; a strong cup of coffee in one hand, cold, weak toast in the other.

“Thank you,” I said, setting my breakfast down.  I knelt down, and my soon to be 4 year old launched herself into my arms.  Her little body was still warm from sleep, and her hair held the soft, sweet smell of apples.  I pressed my lips to her forehead.  “You are beautiful too, sweetheart,” I said.

She pushed back, abruptly.  “Not yet!” she exclaimed.  “I’m not dressed in my beautiful clothes!  And my hair doesn’t have anything beautiful in it!”

“Huh,” I said, thoughtfully tilting my head to the side.  I studied her for a moment.  Golden hair cascading gently down her back, blue eyes filled with laughter and wonder, rosy cheeks flushed with the excitement of a new day.  My daughter is, in fact, quite beautiful.  Yet I didn’t rush her over to a mirror in order to point that out.  Instead, I shared a secret.

“I guess I haven’t told you about the secret to true beauty yet, have I?” I mused.

“What is it?” she gasped.

“Well,” I began.  “True beauty isn’t something you see at first.  It’s something you feel.”  My daughter looked confused, but snuggled in closer and listened intently.

“The most beautiful people in the world are kind, helpful, loving and good.  Their beauty is inside of them.  So when you meet these people, they have the kind of beauty that shines through from the inside out.  You feel good when you’re around them.  Sometimes you feel their beauty before you see it.”

“What if we put jewelry on?” my daughter asked.  “Does that make us beautiful?”

“Jewelry can be very pretty,” I said, nodding, “and it’s fun to wear, but it doesn’t make us beautiful.  It doesn’t matter what clothes we have on, or what our hair looks like.  If we are not beautiful on the inside, we can never truly be beautiful on the outside.”

My daughter thought about this for a moment while she played with a thread that was slowly unraveling from the cuff of my sweater.  “Mom?” she said, looking up at me.  “You feel beautiful to me.”

“You feel beautiful to me, too,” I said, hugging her closer.

And she is.

 

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77 thoughts on “Do You Feel Beautiful?”

  9. I cannot love this enough! I love the way your writing brings us right into your life, your home, your kitchen and your heart. You are very beautiful and that beauty certainly shines from within.

    Liked by 2 people

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  11. What a doll she is! You found the perfect words for her. 🙂
    I’m trying to get this point across to my 3.5yo right now, too. She is very much a dress/tights/tutu/jewelry/hair stuff kind of girl, which I’m trying to break through….

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. My daughter loves pretty clothes, shiny jewelry, and lovely hair accessories. She loves to dress up, and she changes outfits several times throughout the day! I don’t mind that this is what makes her happy right now, but I do want to make sure she gets the right message along the way. 🙂

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  14. Gorgeous, in every single way that counts – outside and in, backed up with actions and words. Congratulations on guiding your daughter along the road of happiness and understanding. Hugs from your child are always the absolute best, most beautiful feeling in the world. Nothing comes close.

    Liked by 1 person

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      1. You’re welcome… I really enjoy your blog. You’re capturing all the memories that so few of us write down. Your kids will appreciate your lovely words when they’re older. It’ll be a treasured keepsake for them. 🙂

        Liked by 1 person

  32. Reblogged this on GO TO GIRL and commented:
    Kids ask the most innocent but necessary questions.
    What is beauty? What makes me/you beautiful? Is it the jewellery?
    No? You feel beautiful from the inside out.
    Thought I’d share this with you this morning.
    GTG

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

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