You Were Right The First Time
Once upon a time, this is the way you too saw yourself when you looked in the mirror. This was the sense of pure joy, wonder, curiosity, and awe that just the sight of YOU brought to your heart. Chances are, however, that's no longer the “you” that you see, which is why, a few months ago, I wrote this letter to my obviously-not-yet-able-to-read granddaughter, Macie, and why I want to encourage you to cut and paste it into a Word doc, substitute your name for hers, and put it and a picture of you at this age on or near the mirror you most often use for at least a week (that goes for you too guys!) as a gentle reminder that YOU WERE RIGHT THE FIRST TIME!
Dear Macie,
Yesterday, your mom sent me this picture of you seeing yourself in a mirror for the first time and my heart nearly exploded with joy when I saw the look on your face, because it told me that, intuitively, you see the truth about you, you see what I see, what your mom and dad see, what everyone who meets you sees - that, without addition or subtraction, you are beautiful beyond description (inside and out), that you are worthy, deserving of all that is good in life, and cherished beyond measure.
The thing is, if you're like most of us, me included, there will come a day when the world and likely someone in your world will cloud your view of self, if not obstruct it entirely. They will try to diminish you, to make you believe there are missing or misfitting “pieces” of you, that you need a little more of this or a little less of that to be enough, to be loved, accepted, desired, and appreciated, to fit in, to be part of the group, earn the degree, get the job, or find the partner you want - even have the friends you want.
When that day comes, DON'T BE MISLED. Find this picture, wrap yourself in this word hug, and be reminded of the TRUTH about you – of the well spring of joy in your heart, of your tender, but feisty spirit, of your quiet, but fiercely determined disposition, your playfulness, the many faces and phases of your quirky and engaging personality, of your boundless curiosity, of the soul-soothing warmth and calmness you exude, of your infectious laugh, and of your seemingly insatiable desire to share closeness.
Above all else, remember this: when it comes to the hearts that matter most, which, in the end, are the only hearts that matter, you are loved unconditionally for who you are – just as you are.
Papa Don
