Dear Bailey

My cousin recently shared an issue she had with her daughter on Facebook.  I thought it was heartbreaking but I loved the way she decided to handle it.  I asked her permission to share with you in the event that it could help any other young women.  Here is what happened…

My 10 year old daughter recently told me something that has bothered me for a few days now. She informed that she needs to run more to lose weight. Then a few days later she asked me if she looked skinny enough? My heart broke. I was so disappointed that here is this little innocent girl that has been influenced by society and she is already starting to think she is not good enough. I felt like I had let her down. So after thinking about how I would approach this subject, I decided to write her the following letter. Hopefully it helps her understand. We ended up having a great talk about it afterwards and decided to share it just in case anyone else could ever use it. Lord knows that parenting is tough and it helps to have people talk about things like this  Especially because as parents we influence our kids by everything we do and say.

My Dear Bailey,

You recently mentioned to me about something that caused me a concern. That you want to be “skinny”. It worries me that you don’t realize what’s really important in life and it is my job as a parent to let you know.

Yes, it is important to be healthy. Eating right and exercise are important for bodies. But that is not the most important lesson I want to teach you. I want you to know that the most important thing in life is the size of your heart and not the size of your jeans.

Being a good person with a good heart is what I truly want for you.

What makes a good heart you ask? Well, a few things I can think of and that I need to remember sometimes too…

Be there for others, especially when they need help… Be honest…Give more than you take… Be Genuine... Be thoughtful in life… Make smart decisions… Be open minded… You can always learn from others, no one knows it all… Listen and learn from your elders… It’s not all about you & the world doesn’t revolve around you...Say your please and thank you’s & be grateful………And always listen to your mom & dad.

No, Bailey. It’s not your skin color, your weight, height or even what you wear that truly matters in life. It’s your heart. And when you are a person with a good heart, you are a good human being.

I love you to the moon and back my sweetie!!! And I love your heart.

Love,

Mom