Letter About Beauty

Dear Q,

I have been wracking my brain recently as to how I'm going to teach you about beauty and purity. There's no use trying to teach you that the world won't value you according to how outwardly beautiful you are, because that's just not true. What I can teach you is to not let the world's evaluation define you, and to base your worth on your soul--strength of character, compassion for others, and innate value as a human being. This mindset does not come naturally and takes a lot of discipline.

That's not to say you're not beautiful--every time I hold you in my arms, I am more and more convinced of just how beautiful you are. But outward beauty is fleeting, and if you base your worth on it, you'll find yourself in a perpetual state of insecurity. It's going to be hard to make my voice heard over the yells of the world--the huge posters of scantily clad underwear models as we pass by the lingerie store in the mall, the toy ads on TV that all feature slender little white girls with long, silky hair, not a wisp of it out of place. I want you to be able to evaluate these messages and consider: 1. What are they selling? 2. How are they manipulating you in an attempt to sell it? 3. What are they saying about what the world places value on?

I think that purity is probably irrevocably tied to one's definition of beauty. If you feel you are beautiful only when other people love and praise you, you will go to great lengths to please them. Valuing yourself means making sure you can't be bought cheaply, with flattering words or empty promises. It means independence of spirit, moral courage, and wisdom in compromising situations. I hope I can expound upon these things deeper when you're a little older. All I know is that the love of people on earth--even your mother and father--pales in comparison to the unconditional love God has for you. If you search for that fulfilling, life-changing love elsewhere, you will come up short.

You are my daughter, beautiful inside and out, and I wish for all good things to come to you and for you to treat others with respect and kindness, even when every fiber of your being protests against it. That, I think, is one of the truest marks of beauty.

Love, Mum