My dear girl,
When we were quite young, my mother always reiterated a proverb attributed to her father of blessed memory on the importance of taking good care of oneself, and the need to be properly dressed and well groomed. “Elewe mma ariri ya aruo” – The rough translation of the Igbo proverb says –“if you abuse your good looks, it goes ugly.”
My daughter, it is amazing what taking care of oneself along with proper grooming does to people, and not just on the physical level – it affects one from the inside out. You will glow. How you look can affect how you feel, and can make or mar your day. I am sure that you have noticed that on the days when you feel you look really good, you have so much energy and confidence that you feel you can take on the world. However, when you think you do not look nice enough, you are down on yourself and are likely to be moody, irritable and downcast.
My dear, always take good care of you. Remember, abuse your beauty and the consequence is that it turns ugly.
Love you always.
Dad.