I’m just pretty. (period)

I’m not pretty for a BIG girl…I’m just pretty.

The first time I received a compliment about my beauty from someone besides my mom, it was bitter sweet. On the one hand I was excited that a man found me attractive (side note: we were 9 years old ), on the other hand he began a thought process that has followed me into adult hood. He said, “you are really pretty for a big girl!” I didn’t even really know to be offended. I was so fragile and insecure that it was enough for me in that moment.  

As the years went by, I had no idea how much that initial “compliment” affected me.  I found myself measuring my beauty on a different scale than thin women. Somehow my beauty wasn’t equivalent to a thin woman. I convinced myself that beauty had a weight and I had surpassed it.

Fast forward 21 years ---I think I figured it out. Beauty is not a weight. Beauty is not a color. Beauty is a superpower that we are all born with but we are not all aware of. Those who are fortunate enough to tap into their beauty, can attest to the giddy feeling of catching a glimpse of yourself in the mirror and it causing your heart to smile. 

So the next time someone "compliments" you with a qualifier. Be sure to correct them and let it be known that you are pretty--period!