REAL beauty

There's an amazing book called, "This Is Who I Am," in which photographer Rosanne Olson portrays the many different forms of beauty, from young to old as well as those with scars and deeper stories about their unhealthy bodies. The woman that volunteered to be part of this project are courageous, beautiful and heroic. They bring the world "beauty" a whole new meaning and show that beauty truly is in the eye of the beholder. As women, we all have concerns about our body, but we can learn to love our flaws, embrace our uniqueness and be proud of our beauty, both inside and out. I strongly suggest that ALL women read this book, but I wanted to share a poem written by the remarkable Maya Angelou that is included at the end of the book...

PHENOMINAL WOMAN

Pretty woman wonder where my secret lies.

I'm not cute or built to suit a fashion model's size

But when I start to tell them,

They think I'm telling lies.
I say,
It's in the reach of my arms,
The span of my hips,

The stride of my step,

The curl of my lips.

I'm a woman.

Phenominally.

Phenominal woman,

That's me.

I walk into a room,

Just as cool as you please,

And to a man,

The fellows stands or

Fall down on their knees.

Then they swarm around me,

A hive of honey bees.

I say,

It's the fire in my eyes,

And the flash in my teeth,

The swing in my waist,

And the joy in my feet.

I'm a woman.
Phenominally.
Phenominal woman,
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered

What they see in me.

They try so much,

But they can't touch

My inner mystery,

When I try to show them,

They say they still can't see.

I say,

It's the arch of my back,
The sun of my smile,
The ride of my breasts,
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman.

Phenominally.
Phenominal woman,
That's me.

Now you understand

Just why my head's not bowed.

I don't shout or jump about

Or have to talk real loud.

When you see me passing

It ought to make you proud.

I say,

It's in the click of my heels,

The bend of my hair,

The palm of my hand,

The need of my care,

'Cause I'm a woman

Phenominally.
PHENOMINAL WOMAN,

THAT'S ME.

This is what we should be believing about ourselves as woman as well as teaching our daughters. One of the greatest campaigns has been the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty, because it supports that woman do not need to be stick thin, blond, white, with large breasts and perfect skin, amongst other things. Woman are different shapes and sizes, with unique personalities and talents. Those are the things we should be celebrating, both men and woman. All of the woman in this picture are simply gorgeous...
What Stacy says about her body (below) and her beauty is what I am striving for, for both myself and my daughter. Take a close look at this woman...she is natural, wholesome and beautiful Yet, some people's standards would mark her differently and it's sad. Our world is far too focused on the outer appearance of a person that we often never give ourselves the opportunity to get to know them. If there is one major thing I have learned from living in Singapore is that people are never what they appear to be. I am often pleasantly surprised and truly blessed to have had this chance to see beyond the outer and into the internal parts of human beings.

I may be her mom, but Juliana is special and beautiful. I will always encourage her to reach for the stars, never to give up on her dreams and to truly believe that appearances are meaningless compares to a strong core of morality, confidence and courage.

Side note: Yes, I know my blog has taken a turn into thoughts about self-image and all that goes along with it, but it's something close to my heart and something I am dealing with a lot lately. I believe it's important not only to be honest, but also to put it out there in the hopes that one person, one reader is affected. Love to you all.