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Dear She,

You are beautiful. At least, that’s what the people I love tell me. And when they say that I always feel like I’m going to cry. I feel overwhelmed. I’m not a beauty Queen; I’m the nerd. The girl who people considered “almost pretty”. If I had a dollar for every time someone told me when I was growing up that “you would be so pretty if you weren’t [insert a physical flaw here]”, I would be rich. I grew to accept that I was intelligent and kind, and that this would have to be good enough. That I would never be the girl turning heads when I walk down the street. In college, friends, boyfriends, even professors would tell me that I was pretty, that I didn’t need to lose the weight I desperately thought was holding me back and keeping me from being pretty. Yet, for the longest time I couldn’t believe my friends. Finally, one day when I was in the middle of karate practice, I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Even though I was covered in sweat, hair slicked back in a ponytail, I thought wow, maybe I am beautiful. Strength is beautiful; intelligence is beautiful; kindness is beautiful. True beauty, is letting these qualities shine through your smile, your laugh, the way you carry yourself. Although I still struggle with my appearance sometimes and find it hard to believe that other people see something in me, I know that eventually I will love the way I look every day and not just occasionally. Embrace your inner and outer beauty, because everyone is beautiful!

Love me

Age: 22

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