"You Know You're Beautiful, Right?"

I was a tomboy when I was little.  It was a respectable lifestyle choice being the daughter of a coach and the baby sister to three athletes.  They were grooming me for success.  I would go outside and run around for hours, play basketball in the driveway against an imaginary team (or I'd sit on a basketball and talk to myself), and then I would come inside all sweaty and kid-like.  When a redhead sweats, they smell like copper.  I'm proof of that "myth."

My sister and I had this fantastic room in our red brick house in Mt. Vernon.  It seemed so big -- probably because I was only 5'9 as a kid.  That was sarcasm.  I wasn't 5'9 until 7th grade or something. That wasn't sarcasm.  We had this big built-in bookshelf in the corner right across from the door. We had a pocket-door that connected to our brothers' room.  Between our two closets we had a built-in vanity with lights and a big mirror.  My sister would sit there every morning getting ready for school.  I thought she was the bee's knees because she was so pretty, got to wear makeup, and curl her long brown hair.

I wore a baseball hat, my favorite t-shirt said "Gym Rat" on it, and I smelled like pennies.  But my big sister used to sit me down in front of that vanity, brush my hair, and say "Brooke, you know you're beautiful, right?"  

To which I would reply, "I know."  (Not much has changed with me...)

I say all of that because I was/am very blessed to have a big sister (and parents and two brothers) who always told me I'm beautiful (smart, funny, talented, etc.).  I've never had self-esteem issues because I've always been told things to keep me from that.  I'm actually kind of arrogant, but I think that's part of being the youngest.  Maybe?  Probably not.

All four of us kids had daily affirmations.  Our parents made sure we knew we were loved, unique, smart, talented, beautiful, handsome, and so on.  Not so much that we thought we were the greatest and most talented things to grace the earth.  However, if you challenge Christopher to anything, he'll accept and he'll beat you.  We don't know how he does it.

Haven't I already written a blog about women's self-esteem?  I have written about it, but reminding people they are loved, beautiful, handsome, unique, talented, and so on will never go out of style.  It will never get old.  I have nieces and nephews, I have friends with kids and friends who are about to have kids.  Your sons and daughters are going to look at themselves at some point and not like what they see.  They'll hear things about body image and what's good and bad.

It's up to you to tell them otherwise.  It's up to the parents and the big brothers and sisters to tell them, "You know you're beautiful, right?"  

I look at myself every day (kind of have to), and I'm never disappointed in what I see.  Sometimes I have makeup on, sometimes I don't.  Sometimes my hair is fixed, sometimes it's not.  Sometimes my clothes match...

Always, always, when I see myself, I'm more than satisfied.  I'm kind of like "hell yeah!"  I'm a beautiful child of God.  My mama said so.  (And yes, I used "hell yeah" and "beautiful child of God" in the same paragraph.  Words.)  But even as adults we still crave affirmations, whether they are in our relationships or at work.

Let people know you love them.  Let them know they look nice.  Let them know you like something they did or do.  And accept it when they do the same for you.  Just don't let it go to your head.  Unless you're my brother Christopher as an elementary-aged, 4-foot-nothing kid being told "you can't make that half-court shot."

He shot it, and he made it.  Because my mama said he could.  (And then he turned to the high school kids with his hands in the air.  He is a Randolph, after all.)