Dear ten year old me,

by Phoenix at Phoenix Says
Posted on October 26, 2007

Today is your tenth birthday. Happy Birthday. I'm your 27 year old self. I'll tell you how you can believe me. For you birthday, you are having a sleepover with 10 girls. You'll have a blast doing the scavenger hunt that Mommy made up. You'll get some great loot too. I don't remember it all, but I do remember the American Girl series and the Molly doll you got. You didn't think Mommy would get it, because it was pricey, but ten years old is an important birthday and she knew that. See, I am you. :)

I saw an ad yesterday that made me want to write to you. It may seem a bit late, you know, seventeen years or so, but I still think it's important. You know that boy, the one named Matthew who told you that you were ugly last week? The one that made you feel ugly for the first time in your life? That day is the day you started worrying about things that you shouldn't have. You started spending way too much time looking in the mirror, thinking your eyes weren't pretty enough and your nose was too big and you had been given the unfortunate butt chin from your daddy. You started spending a half hour picking out your clothes, hoping to at least look cool, instead of the ugly duckling you now believe you are. Instead, you should be playing outside with your friends, reading in your living room, or skating with your baby brother. These are the important things. Read More...

I realize Phoenix isn't technically a "mommy blogger," but dammit, what a great reminder to those of us raising little girls that they need to believe in their beauty. --Ed.