I put my boots on, then helped Vienna with hers. I smiled as Vienna copied me as I adjusted my leggings inside my boot.
I remembered that I forgot to put my necklace on that I had intended to wear so I moved into the bathroom to get it. I smiled as Vienna followed.
I selected the necklace and hung it around my neck, then smiled when Vienna sweetly asked "me too?"
I took one of my necklaces and fastened it behind her neck. I smiled as she looked down at the little teal pendant resting against her chest.
I watched as she moved out of the bathroom, stood in front of the full-length mirror and admired the reflection she saw...herself--in her cute outfit, fixed hair, boots and necklace...
and I stopped smiling.
What is my daughter learning from me? Is she learning that being beautiful is looking polished and fashionable? Is she learning that being beautiful requires nice things to put on ourselves?
She learns so much by observing me, what exactly am I showing her is important?
As I watched her I was reminded of this verse: "Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." 1 Peter 3:3-4
It should have been no surprise to me that that verse popped into my head today as I watched my daughter admire her reflection in the mirror. It has been lingering there for quite some time as I look at the value of my own life. Am I concerned with my inner beauty as much as I am about my outer beauty? There is nothing wrong with wearing cute clothes, and wanting to look nice, or doing my hair and putting on make-up...but what about who I am on the inside? Am I letting that go neglect? And I forgetting that my soul is of great worth? Am I forgetting who made me beautiful in the first place and dwelling more on things that hold no value?
Beauty is such a delicate topic for women. I feel like most women grow up thinking: "If only I could look like that..." Even those that might think they look beautiful have some kind of insecurity about the way they are perceived. Why? Because women are the ultimate display of beauty.
God created the universe in 6 days...and each creation was grander than the previous. On day 5 he created birds...I love birds, they are so pretty and graceful. But even I can't deny the greater beauty of horse, which he created on day 6, over that of a bird. Women were the last thing he created.
Women are meant to be beautiful. Women are beautiful. And I think that is why women's beauty is so attacked and targeted, leaving every single one of us feeling like we can always look better, because there is something that can be so exceptionally special about the beauty of a woman on the inside that we lose ourselves too much on the beauty of ourselves on the outside.
A big part of how Vienna is going to learn to be beautiful is from me. And that's terrifying. I want her to know that she will look beautiful regardless of what she wears. I want her to know that being beautiful isn't about adorning ourselves with all those fun things--like clothes and make-up and accessories--but it's about who she is on the inside. I want to show her to embrace her inner beauty...because she was created to be beautiful.
Being beautiful is in her heart and in her soul. It is in her spirit and in her love. Being beautiful is inside of all of us.
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