The Girl's Bill of Rights

Girls have the right to be themselves and to resist gender stereotypes

Girls have the right to express themselves with orginality and enthusiasm

Girls have the right to take risks, to strive freely, and to take pride in success

Girls have the right to accept and appreciate their bodies

Girls have the right to have confidence in themselves and be safe in the world

Girls have the right to prepare for interesting work and economic independence

I

I found this on the fridge of a friend who also happens to have two daughters. I'm really quite impressed and in awe at the detication and freedom he promotes for his daughters and the women around him.

Funny thing though, both his daughters still insist that they are ugly. The first time I heard them say this I just about fell out of the chair I was sitting in. I'm quite serious. They've inherited these huge blue eyes, and I'm pretty sure if they asked for anything at all from anyone they'd get it in a heartbeat if the person wasn't trained in the defense of the dark arts. Eyes tell everything you know.

It just reminds me that despite how many times my father and family insisted that I was beautiful, the pressure from the outside world was so immense that no matter what they said I simply did not feel it as deeply as I perhaps should have. Seeing this on his fridge reminds me that it is indeed true because I know for a fact that he does love his daughters more than anything I can think of, and he speaks the truth when he calls them beautiful and encourages them to touch the stars.

I spent far too many years believing myself to be far too ugly for this, far too ugly for that, and to be honest it's tiring and almost pointless. The only real progress I've made in my life is when I tossed those self-degrading thoughts aside and believed in myself as the people around me had always done. Especially my father, he has never waived in his faith in knowing I was beau tifula nd could do anything I put my mind and time into. Reguardless of any of that, life is a path to be taken and letting things like lack of the social beauty standard hold you back is truly a waste of time and painful for yourself and those around you.

So I guess what I'm saying is, lift that chin girlfriend! Go get em'!