Today, a specific sentiment sits on my heart heavier than usual.

All of us have something we don't like about ourselves. We hide it, mask it, put concealer over it, wear certain clothes and colors because of it. We are hyper aware of what WE see in the mirror staring back at us. It can be SO HARD for us to see the beauty in ourselves that others so readily see.

I believe there's still a wide-eyed little kid tied to our self confidence no matter how old we get and they're listening to every word we say - unquestioningly.

In my position as a photographer, I hear those snide remarks masked as coy humor. I feel the pain behind your words knowing full well we just try to make the best of what we see as ugly. Because there's a deep, old pain of my own - a pain that told a little girl she'd never be as pretty as her sisters (or brother), a pain that told a little girl she looked like a bulldog, a pain that told a little girl no one would ever love her or see her as pretty because she was too pale, too ordinary, too fat, too awkward, too boyish, too toothy, too mundane, too grotesque.

I hear those jokes you make about yourself too and I hurt because I know you believe the lies and the little kid that's still inside of you hears those sentiments with unquestioning ears and I know, I just know, that they believe those lies too.

I want my space to be a safe space where you can talk about anything, share your struggles and confide your insecurities in me. But I also want to pull your mean sentiments out and hug them until they stop kicking and screaming and scratching and snarling and give in to the fact that you are loved EXACTLY as you are.

I wish you to know on an intrinsic level that you are beautiful, wonderfully designed and LOVED. 💞