The Question of Beauty
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Last night, at a dance party full of gorgeous women in hot-rocked dresses (women with behaving hair, women who learned from women how to color-wrap their eyes), I wondered (I with my jeans on, I with my humidity hair) whether it would make a difference, ever, if my husband spontaneously said (spontaneously, once), "Beth, you can really dance." Would I feel somehow less unlovely? Would being able to dance (really dance) compensate for an ordinary face? Do tomboys ever grow up to be real girls?
The color's within. It always was.
6 comments:
Dear Beth, You are far from ordinary. All the while growing up I always thought of you as so pretty. It's interesting how we see ourselves and how others see us. Now to the question you posed...do tomboys ever grow up to be real girls....I guess we need to define what a real girl is!! So, dear cousin, there's a song by Billy Joel that goes....I love you just the way you are!! And Beth, you are loved...simply and fully because of the way you are!!
Well, first of all, I think a great secret of the universe is that one of the most powerful weapons a man carries where women are concerned is a compliment. Don't they know that if they give just 1%, they'll receive 1000% in return?
Even more powerful - and devastating - is the withholding of that compliment.
All of which - thankfully - has nothing to do with your beauty, dear Beth, which comes as you said from inside. It's not a constructed thing, dependent on eyeshadow or plunging necklines.
That being said, however, I know that if you decided to be that girl...for fun...for fantasy...for yourself...you would blow everyone's doors off. No doubt.
You're the whole package, friend. Don't let anyone tell you differently.
XO
A.
You're a real girl and it's important to remember that you are modeling for other real girls who like to wear jeans and have misbehaving hair. I have 2 quite different daughters. I want my boy clothes runner to be free to dance, and my ruffles and purse carrying child to be free to climb trees.
Oh, I embrace you guys.
You know, my own lack of self confidence has to be something I own, and own alone. I was just wondering, what it would be to be empowered, for a moment, by the idea that you are really good at something.
Colorful soul? Yes, you are.
I think there is something to be said for being beautiful without the aid of fancy clothes and lots of makeup. An inner beauty and happiness that shines through and which you most definitely have. Like you, I'd much rather be a tomboy any day. We have way more fun! :)
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