Its taken me a long time to figure out what feeling beautiful actually meant. There was a time when I was younger, a teenager, that I had an hourglass figure and boyfriends who wanted to be with me, but I was not by any means beautiful. Beautiful, as it has turned out in my life, is not something that can be found in the pages of a magazine or at the counter of an expansive makeup stand.
Today I'm wearing size 16 jeans, with stains all over them, a shirt that at one point in time used to be a dress but fits me like a shirt thanks to the spare tire I carry around my waist. I have on a tatty old bra that I love that somehow makes my breasts, who have dropped about 3 inches thanks to nursing two babies, back where they are supposed to be, or at least close enough. My hair is tied up in a messy knot on the back of my head and my face, in all of its natural glory, is totally bare. And I have never felt more beautiful.
Its an inward type of beauty now though, a beauty that cannot be seen by simply looking into a mirror. Its the beauty that can only be brought out by having a tiny someone in your life that needs you, depends on you, and loves you unconditionally can bring.
I'm a mom. A wonderful beautiful mom.
xoxo,
Awww! I know exactly what you're talking about. I used to think that beautiful was having my hair in a perfect bouffant formation with the right amount of red lipstick. Now beautiful for me, is being covered in half digested green beans, hair not having been brushed in days, wearing a soaked bra holding my poopy pants baby. Thanks for writing this. Its always a good reminder of what beautiful is. I so often forget.
ReplyDeleteRIGHT ON! And when one finds beauty on the inside...it shows on the outside. Love this post.
ReplyDeleteI think there is more beauty in a confident, comfortable-with-themselves person than any other kind.
ReplyDeleteI used to be totally superficial... thinking that I had to have my MAC makeup applied perfectly, my $100 haircut styled just right... but wow was I wrong. My kids don't notice the difference. Not even my husband seems to think there is anything wrong with how I look when my unwashed hair is pulled back into a pony tail and my sweats don't match, and my shirts have sticky peanut butter around the collar where Annelie is prone to hang.
And seriously, I feel way more beautiful surrounded by my family than I ever did when I wore fancy makeup and actually washed my hair.
And as for weight, I firmly believe that moms who whittle themselves down to a size -2 just look wrong. I WANT to have boobs and hips! My kids don't want to cuddle a skelemom.
What a beautiful post, Mandie :) I used to be annoyed that my husband called me beautiful more often when I just get out of bed than when I was dressed and put together (pre-kid days, even). He told me it was because I wasn't "trying" to look good. He likes that. Although, I do admit I'm in a better mood when I have make-up on :)
ReplyDeleteI have to say, there are days where I'm a mess and look all dumpy and Amelia will look at me and tell me I'm beautiful and it's the best compliment that I could ever get! Thanks for reminding us all to remember that our beauty is beyond how good our hair or clothes look on any given day.
ReplyDeleteLovely post!
ReplyDeleteSuch an awesome post. There are times I feel that, when my son tells me I'm the "best mommy ever". But I have to work on my inner mom a lot more.
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