Dear Beautiful,
I say that not because you have to be, but because you are.
I say that because it is something that you are, but it is not all that you are.
You are not beautiful like the models you see in magazines. You are beautiful like a quiet sunrise, like the joy on a child's face when they see magic, like the exhilaration of looking down from the top of a mountain. Your beauty can not be confined to details like the slope of your nose or the circumference of your waist. It is the sound of your laughter and the kindness of your touch and the way your eyes light up when you see a beautiful old building.
My dear, there will be a day when you do not feel pretty. Lord knows I still have those days. But I will not first hand you a tube of concealer and a flat iron so that you can feel pretty. Instead, I will tell you that it is okay. It's okay not to feel pretty and it is okay not to be pretty. In fact, in the list of the top ten most wonderful things about you, pretty will not even make the list because it will never be as important as your brave spirit, your humor, or your tender heart. When I teach you of the worst things a woman can be, "fat" and "ugly" will never be on the list. Because that will never be as bad as being spiteful, dishonest, or unkind.
I grew up believing that it was my job to be a pretty girl. I feared taking up too much space or being too much to handle. As I have grown up, though, I realize that that is exactly what I want you to do. I want you to learn to say "no," speak loud enough that you can't be ignored, and push away anyone in your life who makes you feel small. You do not owe the world your appearance in exchange for taking up space. No, you owe the world your experience. Your joy, your ideas and your innovations. Pretty is nice, yes, but don't let that limit you. You have the power to be extraordinary.
I will remind you each and every day of how beautiful you are if that's what you need from me, but don't think for one second that I will tell you that before I tell you how strong you are. How bright and talented you are and that some day your name will be in history textbooks because you just might change the world if you don't let yourself or anyone else hold you back.
Beautiful, I want you to know that I see you watching, and I hope you are as proud of me as I am of you. I promise to be the strong leader that you can look up to and some day become. I promise to never insult my fellow women, lest you take in that negativity. I promise to contribute to a change in our world so that some day you will grow up in a different one. A world with confident, powerful female leaders everywhere you look, and models in magazines that look like the women you pass on the street. Because that, my love, is beauty.
Love always,
Someone who loves you
