The Greatest Gift of All

I believe children are our future

Teach them well and let them lead the way

Show them all the beauty they possess inside

Give them a sense of pride to make it easier

Let the children’s laughter remind us how we used to be

The lyrics say learning to love yourself is the greatest gift of all.  This is one of the songs that defined the meteoric rise of Whitney Houston.  It touches several emotional chords.

As a mother and teacher, I know how important it is to build young people’s self-esteem, but learning to love yourself… is a huge undertaking.

Ask yourself this question.  Do we really love ourselves, warts and all?

Speaking as an average woman, I think not.  We pick ourselves apart.  Here’s an example.  Hair.  It can be too long, too short, too thick, too thin, too curly, too kinky, too straight…  You get the idea.  That’s just hair, let’s not even address body issues.

No one can rip you apart better than yourself.  It’s what we do.

I have been me for a long time.

I like me.

I like spending time with me.

I like me as a person.

You can say I’m a close and personal friend of myself.

I do have things I would like to change.

I tend to procrastinate.

I don’t like to e-mail.

I don’t tweet.

I worry.

I’m obese, not chunky, obese.

If I was perfect, you’d hate me.  Isn’t that what we’ve learned about creating characters?  A perfect person is boring.  You don’t relate to them because it’s hard to like someone who never makes a misstep.

I want children to see how smart, funny and just how wonderful they are.  It’s something I’ve spent years doing.  We mess up.  What are we going to do to get back on track?

Embrace what makes you, you.

Embrace the quirks that make you unforgettable.

Learning to love yourself is the greatest journey of all.

Who has helped you appreciate all those aspects that make you, you?  What story do you have to share about that experience?