Embracing Your Unique Beauty
A photo of my sister enjoying the beauty (and smell) of a rose bush
I love hibiscus flowers. They remind me of early morning
walks with my grandfather during my childhood in Jamaica. I learned to
appreciate beauty from “papa.” As the first child of his youngest daughter, he
adored me and cultivated
my appreciation for beauty at the tender age
of two. We enjoyed walks together in his flower garden, and as he introduced me to different plants, he told be their names. Yet, each time we came upon his hibiscus flower collection, he said “pretty.” I would mimic the word and smile. It was our shared secret. The name didn't matter, so satisfied with and captivated by their beauty, only the adjective interested me.
As I grew older, so did my affinity for other types of flowers: roses,
gardenias, and marigolds. I don’t see any of these flowers as prettier than
the other. They are all different in their own way, but beautiful nonetheless.
In the same way flowers vary in their beauty, so do the beauty we find in the
human population.
As women we come in an array of shapes, sizes, and skin
tones, each of us beautiful in our own unique right. Unfortunately, limiting beauty standards fail to capture the many flavors of our diverse makeup. Too often we internalize society's shortcomings as our own.
As you make resolutions for 2015, I challenge you to embrace your God-given
unique beauty. Your creator didn't make any mistakes when he created you, in fact, he looked at you and said you are "good." This means you are already beautiful just as you are: your hair, your body shape, your skin tone, your height, your flaws and imperfections. This alone is enough reason to celebrate yourself.
I too look forward to continue to affirming you and other beautiful nubian queens on Faces of Black Fashion in the coming new year.
Happy New Year Lovelies!!!!!!!
