Putting yourself down in front of your child takes away from her
seeing the beauty in herself, as she looks up to you for guidance.
Life
happens in the moments, the little ones that you just about miss, with two
little eyes watching you closely. The things you say and do become ingrained in
to their memory and a part of who they are: the way you pronounce words,
the way you comb your hair, the way you eat your food and the silly way you
move your hands when you talk. All of your mannerisms, for better or worse, get
compiled in these little people. Your own disciples.
With my
affinity for singing, bath time commemorates with my own version of
the chorus from "I Feel Pretty," with Penny in my arms, gazing at
ourselves in the mirror. I know, cheesy. It is one of those things that just
happened and now simply cannot be missed, her in my arms and all, even though
she is more than half my height. The fact that her baby bath was on the
bathroom sink, with her mirror right there probably had something to do with
it.
I think
it is in these moments that children feel loved and know that they are valued. As
a mama it is crucial to instill worth on your child, especially in a society
that degrades women and is forced to compare themselves to fake,
photoshoped ladies. The power of words play an important role. What you do not
say may have more impact than what you. No mama wants to hear how her daughter cannot stand her shoulders or her hips are too big. It was God who blessed her with the practically webbed toe and strategically placed mole when he knit her together so carefully, so be sure to remind her.
You are altogether beautiful, my love; there is
no flaw in you. Song of Solomon 4:7
God says you are beautiful. Your daughter is beautiful. The lady next to you on the bus is beautiful. The woman across the coffee shop counter is beautiful. And the one in the cubical next to you. Perhaps God wants you to tell one of his daughters how beautiful she is today.
I pray
that if you are a mama or not, that you would build up those around you. That
you would instill a positive message of beauty on others. That you would not
give in to putting yourself down as others around you may so easily do. I pray
that you would stand your ground and hold tight to the beauty God has lavished
on you. That you would build others up and reveal to them the beauty in
themselves.
Here's to
making sure she knows how beautiful she is and how God made her flawless. To more compliments and less put downs.