Guest Post: Mothers and daughters, you are beautiful.
Today, we're reposting a beautiful and touching article from Ambassador Tanya. It looks back on the #beYOUtiful campaign of previous years and the importance of promoting the concept that all of us are filled with undeniable beauty:
What does it mean to be beautiful? It’s such a simple word, but it can take on so much meaning. It can make someone smile, or it can make you view the simplest things from a fresh perspective. Everyone sees beauty differently...it’s what makes us all unique. In the eyes of a young girl or teenager, it can mean everything. Once you become a mother to a girl yourself, it often takes on an even greater amount of significance.
I was 24 when I became the mother to a wonderful little girl named Caitlin. As a first time mom, I was full of all the usual doubts and insecurities any parent has. Am I doing this correctly? Will she grow up having the same self-image issues as me? Will she understand how much she’s truly loved and just how beautiful she really is? As any parent will testify, the role isn’t easy and it will often test you in many ways. Children do not come with an instruction manual, although it sure would help sometimes!
High school was not the easiest time for me. I had a few friends, but I was never what was considered to be popular. Growing up as an only child meant that I never had the benefits of a sister to help with my self-esteem. My relationship with my parents was far from perfect. It was often strained, and looking back, I grew up being much closer to my father than my mother.
As Caitlin continued to get older and finally entered high school herself, some of my old insecurities resurfaced, this time not for me, but for her. As a parent, you want your child to fit in, to have as many friends as possible, and most importantly, to never lose their own self-worth. I feared there would be a day when she came home in tears, upset over a name she was called in class or over a crush that deemed her to be something, anything, less than beautiful. Thankfully, my little girl grew into a smart, strong, beautiful woman. Being in charge of another human being can be a scary thing, but it can also lead to a lifetime of amazing moments.
My daughter will be 20 soon, and like any parent-child relationship, we’ve certainly had our own struggles over the years. As she progresses through her current life in college, and I watch her continue to assert her own independence in this world, I’m reminded every day of how proud she makes me.
I discovered Momentum Jewelry a couple of years ago, and was instantly smitten. Who knew that these tiny little sayings could give me so much motivation and empowerment? They quickly became a daily staple in my life, whether I was out running or just casually trying to get through a typical Monday. In the Fall of 2017, the beYOUtiful campaign launched and it instantly spoke volumes to me on a truly personal level. I gave my daughter a “BeYOUtiful” and “you are enough” Motivate Wrap to help remind her that she was truly beautiful and certainly more than enough.
I wanted her to be able to look down at her wrist and see these reminders no matter where she was or what she was struggling to get through. Whether she was sitting right next to me or 1,000 miles away attending grad school, I wanted her to feel like a piece of me was always with her.
I wanted her to forever know that yes, in the simplest of terms, she is beautiful.
And we want you to know that you are beautiful, too. Remember this...always...even when events like our #beYOUtiful campaign are long done and over with. The notion that you are worth it is timeless.
There are still a few more days to be part of this year's #beYOUtiful campaign! Download your free BE YOUtiful poster and snap YOUR #beYOUtiful pic. Post and share to help spread this important message!