You’ve seen the cover at the grocery store, read PerezHilton.com’s comments, heard about it on Access Hollywood, and retweeted a comment..or two! We change our hair color, wear things that selectively reshape our bodies, wear makeup and false lashes and heels that give us height. We have our “day look” and our “night look” and our “weekend look” (the one that only a selective few get to see!). Our ability to transform our look is our right; some of us really express our creativity with it – our faces, our bodies are our canvas…we can do what we please. It is Heidi’s right to do what she wants to her body and her face. It is our right to be concerned, to discuss what she has done and what it means to us, our daughters, our mothers, our friends. It is a spectacular display of plastic surgery, what has been done to her physically. The emotional reasons that drove her to it, we will not begin to analyze.
Let’s talk take this opportunity to look at and embrace ourselves. Let’s find our beauty, (color washes and false eyelashes et al) in how we FEEL about ourselves. That for many of us, our ability to feel beautiful rests on loving and accepting who we are in this moment, what it took to get us here, and where we are headed.
Talk to us. Let us know where you find your beauty.
As I’ve just turned 40 (!) years old, I definitely notice some changes in the way I look… some might say that my most “beautiful” years are behind me. But for me, all it takes to feel beautiful and strong and attractive is to exercise, which for me usually means going for a run. When I lace up my shoes and hit the park I feel thankful for my body and its ability to run and move. I notice the strength I have within me to overcome challenges and that my self-esteem is intact enough that I value the importance of taking care of myself. And those things combined help me find my true beauty!
Deb I love what you wrote! It’s really true – when we take action to move our body in a healthy way it builds a reserve of self-love that we can tap into at all times. XO Jess
I feel so upset about the example this sets for girls. I love what you wrote – it’s a great way to find the positive in this situation. The truth is, it’s often so much easier to focus on the tangible, quick fixes than to connect with what we feel, and it’s easier to see the negative than to embrace the joy that’s all around us. Thanks, Jess, for calming me down!
I just celebrated my 32nd birthday, and with a business and two small kids, have noticed lines around my eyes when I smile. And it has never occured to me to have them “fixed”. Those lines were earned through years of smiling with my family, grand adventures through high school and college with a great group of girlfriends, greeting people as I traveled around the world, and enjoying the world through the eyes of my children. To have a doctor fix them would be erasing my life story from my face.
I appreciate the strength and beauty my body and face hold. That comes from within, that is not an appreciation that can be gained from others. I wish Miss Montag had had a stronger sense of self-love before she changed what was already a very beautiful outside appearance.
Rach – I always love a moment when I can calm you down (although I pray it won’t last for long!)
And Melissa – I really love what you wrote about your wrinkles and lines. I feel the same way. Every line on my face tells the story of the people I’ve met along my journey.