[gallery link="file" columns="5"] We are a family of four. One dad, me. Three daughters, them. Four of us together learning life again. The beauty peeking in every one of their eyeful glances and playful smiles strengthens me and opens my eyes to see. They are leaning on a man to show them how to be women. It is more appropriate than I ever imagined. In many treacherous ways, it is harder to become a woman than it is to be a man.
A study found that on average, women have 13 negative body thoughts per day and that 97 percent of women in the study admitted to having at least one “I hate my body” moment daily. 80% of women who answered a People magazine survey responded that images of women on television and in the movies make them feel insecure. In one study, three out of four women stated that they were overweight although only one out of four actually were. Some of the pictures of the models in magazines do not really exist. The pictures are computer modified compilations of different body parts. One half of 4th grade girls are on a diet. 95% of individuals who diet as opposed to those who follow a healthy food plan will gain their lost weight back in one to five years. 81% of ten year old girls are afraid of being fat. A study found that adolescent girls were more fearful of gaining weight, than getting cancer, nuclear war or losing their parents. When preschoolers were offered dolls identical in every respect except weight, they preferred the thin doll nine out of ten times.
There it is. That thing robbing happiness and fullness with ease and with little fight. Everyone just gives in and maybe enables thieving hands to pull long and reshape lasting what little girls see with innocent, bruised eyes. The sun only shines on thin. Smiles made to effortlessly open the heart and bear the soul to broad possibility wear loosely intent on bowing always to generated images of people that never existed. It is oppressive, servitude hanging the price of freedom in happiness on a sliding scale forever sloped unreachable. It is tainting the divine. Every eye, ear and nose, a content stroke of the creator’s hand. Beauty skin deep, surface holding, mutes love true and absolute, actual gorgeousness of individual. Shapes and sizes, height and weight, blemish, curves and lines, all beholding and unveiling beauty in individuality. No two alike. Neither should they ever be. Every one holding beauty deep and divine.
The disease feeding on socially acceptable, preying on innocent while little hearts still warm in the nest. Wings forming strong maimed as they stretch to embrace life before flight. Cut all the same length. The world is flat again.
As a single father of three little girls quickly approaching double-digit age, this breaks my heart and overwhelms and intimidates me. Tears welled up as images of my little girls innocent and free moved through my thoughts. I can only run in panicked circles warding off these thieves. But that will buy little time. The windows will break, glass will shatter and they will come in uninvited and despised. They are coming. I am waiting. Images manufactured precisely. Idols all empty little hearts aspire to please. Models that don’t exist. Women that don’t fit. Empty little hearts always wanting to be filled hungry just to be held as they are, where they are, how they are.
My little women, do they feel the weight? More frightening even, do they identify the wrong as right? Are their little knees still scuffed with dirt and sweat fading too fast giving way to a thieving normalcy, a must achievable mold they must fit into?
Someone needs to yell something different, look into their eyes beholding and everyday grab that disease thieving by the throat, crush it underfoot and open the door to beauty actual. Let the lies swarm and pick and invade. I am the destroyer of deceitful beauty, treading heavy footed on every lie making room for itself in their filling little hearts.
Reading through this information my heart caught flame with fear and resolve. Acceptable images of how women are said to be but were never intended to be or should be influencing all watching, capturing the attention of those needing to be caught. It is not right.
How do you undo an empire but by one brick at a time?
I have three. They will be loosed with the continual help of the one divine.