Welcome to Day 6 of the Grounded Series!

Dear Tween Daughter:

Once upon a time there was a young lady who fretted and fussed over her flawed appearance. She loathed the abundance of dark hair on her arms, she longed to be taller and detested the blemishes that surfaced at the most inopportune times.

 As she gazed into the looking glass, for far too long each morning, she criticized what she saw and struggled to make her reflection more beautiful.

 She longed for the approval of others, to be like them, with big hair, skinny thighs and tan skin. She wanted to blend in yet be noticed at the same time. So, she sneakily applied pink frosted lip gloss and caked on deep blue eye shadow—against her mother’s orders—to try and fit in and feel more grown up.

That girl was me, darling daughter. And I see traces of those same longings in you.

You don’t struggle with unwanted arm hair but you’re embarrassed by your chapped lips and persistently ask if you can wear make-up yet.

“Not yet, sweet girl, but soon.”

You respond with eye rolls and a quick exit out of the room at this answer.

I didn’t like it when my mom told me “not yet” either, but now I understand her reasons for it, because it’s how I feel about you.

I want you to feel confident with your bare-face daughter, to see beauty in the undecorated.

There is nothing wrong with using make-up—when it’s time—but you don’t need it to be accepted. I don’t want it to become an idol that trips you either.

Stand tall because you are made by the Star-Breathing, Paradise-Creating, Body-Forming, Loving-Artist; God.

I want you to be known for your sharp mind, witty humor and compassion for others; that’s what makes you beautiful.

Head over to Jennifer Kostick’s blog to read the rest of the post, A Letter to my Tween Daughter (on Beauty).

Save