HERE'S TO THE GIRLS who at the age of eight were told they could be anything they wanted and they believed it with all their heart. To the girls who as fierce a football player as any of the boys on the playground. To the girls who wore what they wanted. The girls who proudly answered questions in class and fearlessly asked for the answers they do not know. The girls who believed that all of her classmates were her friends.
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS who at the age of fourteen no longer believed they could be an astronaut, firefighter or skydiver. The girls who snuck into their moms makeup before school because she thought she needed it to make her pretty. To the girls who never raised their hands because they were scared of looking foolish. To the girls who pretend to not know the answer or did not throw the ball as hard as she could because she wanted the boys to like her. To the girls who cried because she thought she was too fat, too flat chested or too tall.
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS who at the age of twenty four who chase their dreams, crazy as they may be. To the girls who are six feet tall and still wear stilettos. The girls who go to the grocery store without makeup. The girls who eat cheeseburgers with their friends whilst watching the Victoria Secret Fashion Show. To the girls who dance like no one is watching. The girls who laugh loudly, smile brightly and love openly. The girls who are intelligent, fearless and wild.
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS WHO CHANGE THE WORLD.
There is such intense pressure on girls these days. Girls are bombarded daily by messages from the media that tell them to grow up faster, to be soft spoken, physically flawless, to be lesser then men, to be passive, to be quiet, to blend in. To tell young girls to do any of the latter is doing not only a disservice to them, but a disservice to the world. We need the girls who are not afraid to rock the boat! Those are the girls who change the world for the better.
But what can we possibly do to change the messages that surround them? True that media has a loud voice in all of our lives, especially in the lives of our youth. But our voices can be louder. Encourage the young women in your life to follow her interests. Introduce her to other women who serve as great role models! (Mine include Audrey Hepburn, and nearly every Miss America!) Point out media pressure and remind her that those images are unrealistic. Most of all, be a role model yourself. No matter who you are, know that there is a little pair of eyes watching you, mimicking you and longing to be just like you. Be the role model you wish you had had at her age.
But that is the tip of the iceberg of the problem and solution. What do you think? What else can we do to help teenage girls survive those hard years and tune out the voices telling her to be someone she is not? Comment down below!
Love Always,
Delanie
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS who at the age of fourteen no longer believed they could be an astronaut, firefighter or skydiver. The girls who snuck into their moms makeup before school because she thought she needed it to make her pretty. To the girls who never raised their hands because they were scared of looking foolish. To the girls who pretend to not know the answer or did not throw the ball as hard as she could because she wanted the boys to like her. To the girls who cried because she thought she was too fat, too flat chested or too tall.
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS who at the age of twenty four who chase their dreams, crazy as they may be. To the girls who are six feet tall and still wear stilettos. The girls who go to the grocery store without makeup. The girls who eat cheeseburgers with their friends whilst watching the Victoria Secret Fashion Show. To the girls who dance like no one is watching. The girls who laugh loudly, smile brightly and love openly. The girls who are intelligent, fearless and wild.
HERE'S TO THE GIRLS WHO CHANGE THE WORLD.
There is such intense pressure on girls these days. Girls are bombarded daily by messages from the media that tell them to grow up faster, to be soft spoken, physically flawless, to be lesser then men, to be passive, to be quiet, to blend in. To tell young girls to do any of the latter is doing not only a disservice to them, but a disservice to the world. We need the girls who are not afraid to rock the boat! Those are the girls who change the world for the better.
But what can we possibly do to change the messages that surround them? True that media has a loud voice in all of our lives, especially in the lives of our youth. But our voices can be louder. Encourage the young women in your life to follow her interests. Introduce her to other women who serve as great role models! (Mine include Audrey Hepburn, and nearly every Miss America!) Point out media pressure and remind her that those images are unrealistic. Most of all, be a role model yourself. No matter who you are, know that there is a little pair of eyes watching you, mimicking you and longing to be just like you. Be the role model you wish you had had at her age.
But that is the tip of the iceberg of the problem and solution. What do you think? What else can we do to help teenage girls survive those hard years and tune out the voices telling her to be someone she is not? Comment down below!
Love Always,
Delanie