You are beautiful!

A couple of days ago, while we were brushing our teeth, Addy looked in the mirror and asked, "Mommy, do you think my face is pretty?" Internally, my heart almost stopped beating. I had hoped she would get a little older before that question surfaced. If I'm honest, I secretly hoped she would never question this fact. I want so badly for my girls to avoid the pitfalls of insecurity and fad diets that only focus on the outward and not what is really important. I want them to be healthy and strong and to love the body God gave them. I want them to be free from the insecurities I've struggled against most of my life and to recognize they are beautiful beyond words because they are made in the image of a beautiful God.

Now, lest you think I read to much into this, I recognize that her question was much more innocent that this. She was simply asking a question and wanted a basic answer. It just gave me a glimpse into future conversations that we are bound to have. I remember having them with my mom . . . and I hope I will handle them as well as she did.

I gently affirmed that she is, indeed, very beautiful. We talked a while about what really makes a person beautiful and I told her about a couple people I used to know that I thought were very beautiful until I got to know them, because the inside of a person is what really determines your beauty. We talked again about God looking at the inside.

Then we both looked in the mirror and talked about the things we like about ourselves. I love my eyes and my smile. She likes her hair.

And I am absolutely in love with this little girl - the most beautiful (inside and outside) 6 year old I've ever known.