She was free-spirited, unafraid and unashamed of being her real self but the world would not let her be.
If only she had long hair, they said, she would be beautiful…
Listening to them, she got herself a long Brazilian wig and hoped she met their expectation.
But it did not end there. They continued: “How can she be lady like in baggy trousers and oversized shirt”
She needed to prove her worth. So she bought a tight fitting little black dress, hoping she would impress them.
“No, not on sneakers for heaven’s sake” They jeered.
Under pressure, she borrowed her sister’s court heels and was happy to make an appearance.
It did not end there. They continued the taunting. How can she claim to be beautiful without makeup?
She looked at her face in the mirror. It was plain and natural. Putting on lipstick, drawing her eyebrows and rubbing powder on her face, her spirit was lifted. She loved the transformation. She was confident she was now beautiful by their standards.
But no, it did not end there. “Now she is trying so hard to be noticed” They continued mocking her.
She could not take it any longer. It was not worth all the effort and pain. How could she be trying to impress people that don’t matter and live based on the world’s standard?
Then, it dawned on her that beauty was subjective. Henceforth, she would be comfortable in her own skin. Her definition of beauty was what mattered and not people’s.
To that end, she decided to close her eyes to all forms of sidetalks and do whatever she was comfortable and happy with.
Beauty is subjective,
Beauty is from the soul,
Beauty is confidence,
Beauty is comfort,
Beauty can be skindeep but also natural,
What does beauty mean to you?