Do You Know You're Beautiful?

I had lunch with a friend yesterday and during our conversation beauty came up and she complimented me on my hair, how great it looks, is it complicated? How do I get my hair like that? How amazing it is etc.,   The friend I was having lunch with is caucasian and after her marvelling at my hair, the thought struck me, why can't more of us (and by us I mean black women) have this much love for ourselves? Now to each his own and everyone has their idea of how they want to look and that's fine but I find so many of our beauty enhancements stem from the point that we are fixing something that is wrong or a mistake with our appearance.  I wish we could see the unique features we have from our hair, eyes, cheekbones, hues, with the marvel, awe, amazement and respect that my friend had. I know it's hard, fashion and the media don't help, most of the time we are either nonexistent, only a certain type within our race is considered beautiful, our beauty is treated as a trend or the very same features that are used to shame and mock us are fine on another ethnicity. I know things are changing for better in that area.....kinda sorta but I hope more and more of us see this for the BS that it is.  So please know no matter how you rock your style, be it a perm, braids, locs, loose, whatever ! Know that there has never been anything wrong with the way you look, you are and have always, always been beautiful!

Cheers Lovelies!