In all of my 27 years of life, no one has ever told me this. Not as a child, not as an adolescent, and definitely not as a young adult. It was only once I crossed that bridge of 25 that I started to realize that I could actually be my true self and not get penalized for it. Or maybe I started not to give a damn? Yeah that's more like it. It may seem like it's easy to stay true to yourself, by yourself, but with all the invisible pressures that surround us, it truly can be a battle.
It all starts when you're young. I'm talking about elementary school age, before you realize there actually is a cool crowd. Before you realize that you are the one standing on the outside, looking for a way in. Before I had my daughter, I had no clue just how impressionable kids can be. How easy they absorb their surroundings and take on those things they see. It's pretty scary how seeds can be planted into your mind and transform you into a totally different person.
The sooner you listen to that inner voice and ignore the messages society tries to implant in your fertile mind, the more time you'll have to develop the great person that is within you. The person that was manufactured with specific quirks and put here for a reason. I've worn many different hats over the years, and as time went on I did nothing but toss them to the side. Yes I learned and experienced many things, while managing to get to the current spot in one piece. But I know my journey would have been much more pleasant if I had that comfort of knowing I would be accepted somewhere, by someone.
I look at my daughter and see so much good in her. Not because she's my daughter but because of the way she treats people on her own. This is the untainted version of her that I have to let her know is great. I have to let her know that no matter how quirky she is, she doesn't have to change to "fit in". I have to let her know this, starting today.
The piece above is crossposted from her site. Feel free to interact with her on twitter at @tiarahdenise.
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