i want to apologize to all the women |
Wether they're three years old or one hundred and three years old,
wether they're wearing a cap and gown or they've climbed a mountain,
in the comment section you'll find these common words:
"Gorgeous."
"Beautiful."
"You look great."
And it's a bummer because people praise women for something they didn't actually accomplish.
Since learning about this trend and really beginning to notice it,
I've done my best to intentionally refrain from writing that under people's photos.
A friend of mine, a while ago, posted a picture of her daughter before prom and each comment looked exactly like the one before it, observing her physical attributes, the number of hearts she would break someday, and of course, that she had grown into a beautiful young woman. What saddened me the most was the fact that I knew this girl. I had had the chance to watch her grow up for a couple of years, and her beauty was the most boring thing about her! She's generous, and friendly, and active, and encouraging, and funny! But no one could come up with anything more than her beauty to talk about. This was the first photo of my personal challenge. It was as simple as writing, "She looks so happy. I hope she has a fun time."
In an ideal world, this post and this poem would cause you to find other ways to praise the women in your lives. It would cause a shift between "Wow, you're so gorgeous," to "Wow, you're so creative/strong/intelligent." I challenge you to think more intentionally about what comes out of your mouth first when reacting to a smiling woman (or a picture of such). What I realistically hope for though, is that you'll at least begin to notice how boring those comments about beauty really are.