You’re beautiful (Overheard in the dressing room)

Just the other day, I decided to try my luck at the mall.

I say “try my luck” because when you’re 5’11” (and three quarters), that’s pretty much what shopping is. Luck.

Maxi dresses look like capris, shorter dresses look like lingerie. And pants… well that’s a story for another day.

Anyways, I was in the dressing room trying my luck when I overheard a conversation between a young girl and her mom.

Mom: What do you think?

Young girl: Oh you look beauuutiful!

I just chuckle and move on to my next clothing battle. Mom must have been doing the same thing because about the same time I got my next piece on, the conversation starts again.

Young girl: Beautiful! You are so pretty! Let me see your necklace? Oh yes, so pretty.

Mind you, this is coming from a girl who couldn’t be older than 7. And this is all happening as I’m staring in the mirror, trying to figure out if I could make ankle-length maxi dresses a thing.

Mom: Are you sure you like this?

Young girl: (Really contemplative now) Well… I didn’t really like it on the hanger. But on you it’s good. Maybe you’re just so beautiful.

And this went on for 30 minutes or so…

WHERE DO I GET ONE OF THOSE?!

Seriously, that mom walks around with a little cheerleader. A little girl who just spews how awesome that mom is.

I don’t have a cheerleader.

Heck. If I’m being honest, I’m not anybody’s cheerleader either.

And when I was that age… (well, I was kind of a little bitch).

But what if we were more like this little girl?

What if we walked around, being cheered on the way this mother is cheered on by her daughter?

Unfortunately, there’s really no way to force someone into cheering you on. BUT. We have the power to do it for other people, and for ourselves.

I guess this kind of goes into what I was getting at in my last post.

Comparing and critiquing does nothing but weigh everyone down. Why do we do that? Why do I do that?

Long story short: Be like that girl.

(And if you know how to raise children like that, let me know. I’d adopt a whole herd.)