"You are beautiful, just the way you are", "Real beauty comes from within", "You don't need to wear make-up". Most of these phrases should sound familiar to any elementary school aged female. I remember my parents used to tell me these things. Well now, I am 21 and all I hear is "Why don't you fix yourself up sometimes", "Why don't you wear make-up anymore", " Why don't you do something with your hair"...
I started wearing make-up when I was in the fifth grade. I'd had a relaxer on my hair since I was probably in the first or second grade. When I was in junior high I used to wake up 2 hours before I had to be at school, in order to take my shower, curl my hair, and put on my face. I used to shave my legs on a daily basis. All I was worried about was being cute.
My first year of high school, I still had cuteness on my mind. Once the spring semester came around, I decided to stop relaxing my hair. A few months later I cut off my shoulder length hair into a Halle Berry style in order to get rid of the old relaxed stuff.
Pretty soon, I stopped wearing make-up. Afterall I knew everybody that I went to school with, and I was no longer trying to impress anybody. It actually felt kinda good not worrying what this person or that person was thinking of how I looked. I grew used to just being me.
Now that is has been a few years, and I am still not wearing make-up, and I still do not relax my hair, everybody is starting to get worried about me. My mom always askes "Why don't you take care of yourself anymore" and my dad says "Don't you think your husband gets tired of looking at you like that". They both are always trying to get me to rerelax my hair.
I just say, this is the way God made me. Why should I have to paint my face to hide my natural beauty? Why should I have to chemically alter the molecular structure of my hair in order to fit in with the norm? What ever happened to "Real beauty come from within"? I feel total comfortable just being me. Why can't anybody accept that???
"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight." —1 Peter 3:3–4
May God bless you and give you joy!