FATHER: “I look at her and I can’t believe how beautiful my daughter is. She’s something that was sent to me as a blessing and I thank God everyday, for giving me my baby girl. She’s so kind and genuine and just breathtaking and I don’t know how I got such an amazing daughter. She’s got the most beautiful smile, it lights up a room. And her laugh, it’s contagious. She laughs and you can’t help but laugh too. She’s my little girl and I hope she knows just how beautiful she is.”

MOTHER: “Having a daughter is one of the greatest blessings in life. She’s my beautiful girl but she’s also my friend, my best friend. She’s got a beautiful soul and she is full of love and kindness. Her future's so bright. Her laugh is something I adore and she is so loved. She is the light peeking through the darkness. She is the sun appearing after the storm. She is my beautiful baby girl.”

BEST FRIEND: “I look at my best friend in awe, wondering how I got so lucky to have her in my life. She’s the type of person who’s beautiful but she doesn’t know it, she is just so humble. She loves with her whole heart and she is the most loyal person I know. She’s someone I know that will be there until the very end, regardless of where life takes us. She has the most beautiful smile and he eyes shine with light when she’s happy. I love everything that she is. My best friend is beautiful.”

SIBLING: “My sister is the greatest person I know. She’s my favorite person and she deserves nothing but the best. I remember growing up and always being annoyed with her and now she’s the one person I trust with anything and without second thought. I love her because she doesn’t ever judge and she looks for the good in everyone. She stands up for what she believes in and doesn’t back down. My sister is beautiful.”

HER: “I really need to lose a couple of lbs. My smile is so crooked how can nobody see this? And when I smile my eyes get all squinty and it’s like they aren’t even there. My laugh is annoying and it’s quite obnoxious. I’m way too loud and I should probably bring it down a notch or two, I mean that’s what I’ve been told. I wish I was positive all the time and I wish that I wasn’t so kind. I wish I wasn’t so needy one minute but distant the next. I wish I didn’t forgive people so easily. I wish I could learn to take my own advice. I wish I was everything that I’m not, everything that I long to be. I mean I guess I like my hair if I had to choose, but then again I wish the baby hairs wouldn’t stick up all the time. I don’t think I’m all that pretty or much of anything but I’ll keep smiling and laughing. Fake it til you make it, right?”

Point of view is funny, huh?

We have a problem, one that is starting from within us and has mutated exponentially and has infected our society. But we need to own up to the fact that the root of the problem is within our own selves. I mean, what happened to complimenting each other? When did compliments get replaced with degrading comments? This idea came to me when I realized that how I see myself if different than you may see me and how I see you is different than you see yourself. Self-love is something that has been talked about at nauseation but people still don’t get it. Self-love is so crucial.

If you take anything away from this, take this:

You’re feelings and the way you see yourself is valid but please, when you think these things, also think of how others see you and learn to accept that you are an amazing human and you are loved. Most importantly, know that you are beautiful both inside AND out.

Xoxo,