You are exactly who you are

Growing up I was super insecure about myself because I always felt so different. I felt different by the way I thought about things. I was never and still aren't able to connect with people my age. To this day I'm not really sure why, but I think it goes back to not getting reassurance from my parents. I never really had their full and undivided attention.

I have a hard time connecting with people and making friends. I was never given the "ok" by my parents to let me know that I was enough, that I was perfect just the way I was. I was never told you are perfect the way you are.

I was made aware of my body image at a very young age. For example when I was in elementary school I was blessed with my grandfathers very thick, mustache like eyebrows. Immediately I was taken to the nail salon to get my eye brows waxed and plucked. It hurt so bad, I remember crying the first time and having puffy eye lids for like two whole days. Now, I wish my eyebrows were left alone, because today I barely have any left and they don't even grow in anymore.

When I think back to my childhood and how I felt, it was boredom, longing to be loved and definitely joy.

So to my daughter I want you to know these things to be true because you are exactly who you are and were always meant to be:

I want you to feel confident in yourself no matter what you look like, sound like or are interested in. I want you to know you are perfect and nothing could ever stop me from loving you.

I want you to know that you hold the key to the door with the entire world behind it.

I want you to know that being mad, hurt and sometimes having sad feelings is okay, without feelings are we really human? Or even living? Because to feel is be alive and feel alive.

I want you to know that being a human means you will definitely make mistakes by saying the wrong thing, by disappointing someone or by hurting someones feelings.

I want you to know you should never stop learning and expanding your mind, even after you get married or have kids, to never let your dreams die.

I want you to know that if you want to work as a hairdresser and not a doctor because it is your passion that is okay.

I want you to know that you should never care what other people think of you, it's their problem, not yours.

Finally, I want you to know that your eyebrows are perfect just the way they are and that nail salons do offer eyebrow waxing services, but please just go there to get your nails done.

Love, Mom