Feeling Good About YOU! by Angela W. Chicago, Illinois
The images we see on television and in magazines quite often give us an unrealistic view of our bodies and self-images. Overtime, beauty has been defined as having long, silky hair, slim bodies and noses, and flawless skin. Truth be told, the average size for a woman is fourteen; and if you strip away the air-brushed photos and camera angles, most of the women that supposedly define beauty look just like you and me. Many of the very same women nearly starve themselves in order to stay Hollywood thin, and spend tons of money on stylists and cosmetic surgery. Even so, we break our necks running to the health club, or running up our credit cards trying to keep up with the latest beauty and fashion trends. We’re constantly looking for perfection in an imperfect society.
So what is beauty? Beautiful is the woman who wakes up each morning loving herself in spite of those things she finds unlovable–extra pounds, unwanted facial hair, and the acne breakouts that occur at the most inappropriate times. It is the woman who doesn’t care to be a size six, and who still looks fabulous in a sixteen. It is the woman who loves her hair crinkly and unruly. It is the woman who realizes that she is worthy of self-love in spite of the self-deprecating images that she is subjected to everyday.