Beyoncé says it best: Pretty Hurts. Remember a time as a young girl, twirling around in Princess dresses and your Mother’s high heels. Remember the longing to grab the attention of your Dad to delight in you and all your fairytale glory. To be in awe of your child-like beauty. Fast-forward and remember the first time you made eye-contact with your first crush. Then waking up a little earlier every morning to do your hair and make-up to catch his attention and make him notice you. Remember your first rejection, heart-break, or simply feeling unnoticed, unseen, unwanted. Not intriguing enough. Not funny enough. Not pretty enough. Not worth the attention.
The negligence of our inner and outer beauty cuts so deep. So, we think there must be something wrong with us. We may think we aren’t praying enough or holy enough or flawed for simply wanting someone to look and truly see us. We hide our beauty. We shame our beauty. We shove this desire to the side and close ourselves off to being vulnerable. We deem our wants and desires as bad and unattainable. We yell at the little, vulnerable girl inside of us and tell her to grow up. That she doesn’t need a man.
I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T.
Not saying being independent is a vice, but independence does not mean that the part of us that wants to be noticed, loved, and tended to should be pushed down into a deep, dark, bitter void in our hearts.
This is why I decided to write my senior thesis on what it means to be a woman. Through prayer and self-reflection, I chose eight characteristics of femininity that I think we need to reclaim, revive, and love these parts of ourselves again. I will be posting parts of my thesis to make it easier to read and reflect on considering its 30 pages. I hope this brings healing and empowerment to men and women who read this.
Everybody Loves Bry 