Beautifully written! Such hard things to weigh through and make sense of. You are the best mom for your daughter. She is blessed to have a mom who understands her so well.
Beautiful essay, Jeannie! Your summer nanny is pure gold. The world is ugly in so many ways, but like you point out there's beauty, too. You are doing your best to be a great mom, which I have realized that, based on my experience, is the hardest job in the world. I'm glad Sarah has such a great friend and a great family!
Yes, ache is an apt word, Erika. I imagine you must have your own story involving a child you love who has suffered. Thank you for your kind encouragement. I try to put into words the experience of others who cannot describe them, maybe because they are too painful or overwhelming or confusing or just hard.
This is beautiful, Jeannie, and well expressed. It's hard to feel different and targeted but in some ways, even harder as a parent to see your child experiencing that pain.
Thank you, Julie. Yes, it's a strange phenomenon to feel pain on behalf of your child. I learned this is called externalizing in psychology terminology, where your child subconsciously passes on to you the difficult emotions they don't know how to feel or manage. It's then our job to teach them how to navigate the confusing and dark emotions that arise in every human life.
This essay brought back memories of my own childhood, where I was called “ugly” by boys in my school and internalized it well into adulthood. It stuck with me because long before I was ever called “ugly”, I had decided inside myself that I was ugly. I felt so beautiful on the inside, but when I would look in a mirror, I thought my face didn’t match how I felt. As an adult, I have been called “incredibly beautiful” by some, “pretty” by others. Over the years, I have come to see my worth and value myself beyond my appearance, and I hope Sarah does too. I loved your essay about the time she was called “pretty” by another little girl, and how much that meant to her! Thank you for sharing the ins and outs of your family’s journey here! I love how your writing puts the reader in the middle of the action! You have inspired me with your profound insights and keen writing ability! 👏👏👏💗💗💗
Thanks for being here with me. I appreciate all that you shared here. It seems like so many of us, especially women, grow up with this concept of beauty that we have to learn doesn't include our outward appearance. It takes time to appreciate who we are and all that we have to offer. I'm so grateful you have come to see the inner beauty you possess. Keep radiating that light from within.
Beautifully written! Such hard things to weigh through and make sense of. You are the best mom for your daughter. She is blessed to have a mom who understands her so well.
Thank you, Lisa. I know you understand this. ❤️
Beautiful essay, Jeannie! Your summer nanny is pure gold. The world is ugly in so many ways, but like you point out there's beauty, too. You are doing your best to be a great mom, which I have realized that, based on my experience, is the hardest job in the world. I'm glad Sarah has such a great friend and a great family!
Thank you so much, Beth. The encouragement about being a mom is really helpful, as I doubt my ability almost every day.
You write so clearly and movingly about your own emotions and your daughters.
We ache for so much for our kids.
Yes, ache is an apt word, Erika. I imagine you must have your own story involving a child you love who has suffered. Thank you for your kind encouragement. I try to put into words the experience of others who cannot describe them, maybe because they are too painful or overwhelming or confusing or just hard.
This is beautiful, Jeannie, and well expressed. It's hard to feel different and targeted but in some ways, even harder as a parent to see your child experiencing that pain.
Thank you, Julie. Yes, it's a strange phenomenon to feel pain on behalf of your child. I learned this is called externalizing in psychology terminology, where your child subconsciously passes on to you the difficult emotions they don't know how to feel or manage. It's then our job to teach them how to navigate the confusing and dark emotions that arise in every human life.
This essay brought back memories of my own childhood, where I was called “ugly” by boys in my school and internalized it well into adulthood. It stuck with me because long before I was ever called “ugly”, I had decided inside myself that I was ugly. I felt so beautiful on the inside, but when I would look in a mirror, I thought my face didn’t match how I felt. As an adult, I have been called “incredibly beautiful” by some, “pretty” by others. Over the years, I have come to see my worth and value myself beyond my appearance, and I hope Sarah does too. I loved your essay about the time she was called “pretty” by another little girl, and how much that meant to her! Thank you for sharing the ins and outs of your family’s journey here! I love how your writing puts the reader in the middle of the action! You have inspired me with your profound insights and keen writing ability! 👏👏👏💗💗💗
Hi Rebecca,
Thanks for being here with me. I appreciate all that you shared here. It seems like so many of us, especially women, grow up with this concept of beauty that we have to learn doesn't include our outward appearance. It takes time to appreciate who we are and all that we have to offer. I'm so grateful you have come to see the inner beauty you possess. Keep radiating that light from within.