Beautiful Women

Katie, thank you for pulling me out of my week-long pity party and giving my mind something to chew on besides the fact that I still don’t have power and can’t move into my new home.

I looked at the little movie posted on Katie’s blog about the campaign for real beauty and it really made me think.

I often wonder what other people see when they look in the mirror. Do they see what we see? Do they draw any similar conclusions about themselves as we, the greater world would whilst looking at their reflections? Or do they see someone different? How many people stand in front of that scary piece of glass and see 1000 flaws that no one else would ever imagine in them? How many people fear their reflection, or the voices from within that come with? "you're not pretty enough, your nose is too big, you've got too much cellulite, your teeth aren't straight enough, your lips are too thin, you'll never be good enough, or thin enough or pretty enough".

I know I do. I loved what Katie said in her post about coming to terms with her stretch marks and looking at them as her “pregnancy warrior marks.” It’s taken me almost 40 years to really start to love myself for who I am and not what I look like and amazingly that has made all the difference in being able to finally find a diet approach that seems to be working.

It scares me that my children and my nieces and nephews are growing up in such a troubled world with so much pressure on them to fit into certain moulds. With the statistics of eating disorders, depression, self harm and low self esteem soaring within the last 10 years, I can only imagine the extent of these by the time my nieces are old enough to deal with them.

My hope and prayer is that they will look around at the incredible role models we have in our family. We are surrounded by beauty in all shapes and sizes. When I think of beautiful people, my mind is instantly drawn to the images of my mother, mother-in-law, grandmothers, sisters, sisters-in-law, aunts and cousins. They have all touched me in my heart and I see the handiwork of our Heavenly Father in each of their shining eyes. I am awe inspired and filled with peace, knowing that so many special, talented and BEAUTIFUL women have been put here on earth at this time. I want to tell you that you are all making the world a better place.

A few weeks ago as I sat watching the Annual Women’s broadcast at church and listened to Sister Beck’s talk about women standing strong and immovable, tears started streaming down my face as I thought about each of the amazing women in my life, especially my mother. I have never known a more beautiful, selfless and immovable person as my mom. She is the true essence of beauty and the person I most aspire to be like.

One of my favorite quotes from President Hinkley (and I have thousands of favorites) says

“I see and admire beauty in people. I am not so concerned with the look that comes of lotions and creams, of pastes and packs as seen in slick-paper magazines and on television. I am not concerned whether the skin be fair or dark. I have seen beautiful people in all of the scores of nations through which I have walked. Little children are beautiful everywhere. And so are the aged, whose wrinkled hands and faces speak of struggle and survival.”

Thank you women in my life for your friendship, love, acceptance and example. You are all amazing and it is my sincere hope that my sons will one day find a young woman who is as beautiful and righteous as all of you.