Perfect – having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be.

I have blemishes on my right cheek, and sometimes my knees crack when I walk. I have the tendency to repeat myself when I am talking, and I can be extremely junky. I am a habitual procrastinator, and I am ridiculously indecisive. I am typically late for EVE-RY-THING, and I think my head is a little lopsided. In a nutshell…I am not perfect – no one is.

Perfection is sought after in practically every area of life. We, as humans, strive to be the best at our professions, sports, and even in family life.  Most of us desire to be the perfect mate and parent.  And for some of us, the desire for perfection in regards to body image and beauty is no different.  I believe the media has led a lot of people into believing beauty equals flawlessness or perfection.  Phrases like, “I woke up like this” and such, give a false ideal to emulate.

Have we thought about what messages we are sending to an impressionable 12 -year-old girl? What are her thoughts concerning her beauty? Is she equating beauty with flawlessness? Are the things she sees and hears in regards to beauty making her believe she is not beautiful? And what about our boys? What thoughts are they having in regards to beauty? How are our boys defining beauty? Are young boys expecting women to be truly flawless?

We must be mindful of what we are teaching our youth through spoken word, lifestyle, and deed.  Children imitate what they see and hear, both the good and the bad. I can recall imitating my mother as a child. I remember mastering the skill of walking in high heels – by imitating my mother.  I also remember watching and listening to my mother pray, which I also imitated.

The fact that children follow by example should remind us of how imperative it is for us to be good examples. Instead of proclaiming how perfect we are, I think we should be celebrating our idiosyncrasies. Our differences make us unique – they are a part of who we are as individuals.

American author and photojournalist Ms. Deborah Copaken, is featured in the June 2015 edition of More Magazine, in an article I recently read, entitled “To Nip and Tuck-Or Not, Which Side are You On”. I enjoyed reading this article for several reasons. Ms. Copaken expressed how she would not be “beauty-bullied”.  In the article, she describes her reasons why she will not choose to have plastic surgery regardless of how her face ages. Ms. Copaken states that the lines on her face are “symbolically beautiful” -meaning, the lines personify her life experiences and maturity.

Even though this particular article addresses the challenges of aging gracefully, it correlates with the idea of flawless beauty. There are stories behind those wrinkles and lines. Just because your skin isn’t perfectly smooth doesn’t mean you are not beautiful.

The imperfections we all possess are a part of who we are. Yours may not be the same as mine, but trust me – we all have them. So, don’t be ashamed of the things that make you different.  Your differences give you a story to tell about you – nobody else has your story. Establish your beauty standard that includes and embraces your flaws.

My imperfections, or flaws, are a part of my character. I don’t blend in – I stand out. I am imperfect – I am beautiful.

…for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are your works… Psalm 139:14 KJV

Until the next time, be you and most importantly…love you.

Being uniquely you is being uniquely beautiful.

B.B.