here's looking at you...

I am looking at you now.  In the form of a photograph taken when you were four-years-old.  Long golden hair with eyes peeping out to a wondrous world beyond a knitted brim. Hmmmm.  A glint of perfect health radiates across your dimpled smile ("say cheeeeese!") into the camera lens.  You are gorgeous, OH-FOUR-YEAR-OLD!

Fast forward... you are gorgeous still, my lovely-at-fifteen.  But did you know that you look even more gorgeous without make-up?  (I saw you roll your mascaraed eyes.  Now, as I usually say, roll them back the other way so you won't get out of balance...) It's appealing to wear make-up... to try on new pastels, to see all the drama that can be had when you draw a black line around your upper and lower inner lids.  Or shimmy on some aqua eye shadow with sparkles.  Or guava lip color.  It's OH-SO-FUN!! And will remain forever so, as long as this "made-up" beauty doesn't become a crutch, or a habit.  Ask yourself, "Can I leave the house without make-up and still feel like myself? Because make-up doesn't define who you really are.  It never will.  For you see... it can't.  No amount of make-up can enhance your internal features.  Your kindness;  your intelligence;  your smile;  your forgiving nature;  your love; your honesty;  your wonderment- "how deep do you think that water is?";   your talents; your laughter colors your cheeks with a make-up not yet known to cosmetic counters. 

The world is full of beautiful and hot girls (which is another topic altogether.)   They are EVERYWHERE.   Around every corner.  At every school across this ominous planet.  On every magazine page,  in every movie and mall.  Everywhere.  But what is not everywhere, is the girl that is both beautiful on the outside... and on the inside.  The girl that isn't afraid to be herself. Yah-yah-yah, I know... old stuff. Regardless.  It is true. Most boys know this too, even though they like to look at all the beautiful and hot girls.   And they like to talk about them... and often times pursue them... but rarely do they end up loving them forever.   Sadly, rarely do these girls end up loving themselves forever either. 

You've heard it all before, I know.  (Remember to roll your eyes back the other way.)