Fat Chick Fed Up

Happy Saturday everyone! I hope you all are having a great start to your weekend. We are spending lots of time at the ball field this weekend-two practices today and one tomorrow (two boys in Little League). Temps really haven’t started to cool off here in FL, like it seems to be doing everywhere else, so it makes for one hot weekend. Good for the Vitamin D intake. Also, our A/C is on the fritz so it’s just as hot inside these days as it is outside. That’s one hard thing about moving-trying to find quality repairmen! We would appreciate your prayers that it isn’t something super serious!

Some of you may remember that I began this new series “Isn’t She Beautiful” a couple of weeks ago on my blog, after a bit of controversy over this picture I posted on Facebook. Instead of perpetuating the negativity surrounding the photo, I decided I wanted to turn it around and spread a little positivity here in my little corner of cyberspace. The goal of this series is to find beauty in places where it might be least expected or in unconventional ways, as opposed to the way the world typically defines beauty. I am excited to report that I have nearly 40 people signed up to participate in this series. My goals is to get that number up to 52, at least, so this series can continue for a whole year. So, please, if you know someone who would be a good fit for this series (it can be someone you know personally, a fellow blogger, or even someone no longer with us), email me at fatchickfedup (at) gmail (dot) com.

I apologize for the technical glitches with last week’s post. I had it written and ready to post Friday night. When I got up Saturday it had disappeared except for the picture! I was headed out of town for the weekend and had no way to write it again. So weird-I’ve had some technical difficulties before, but that was a new one! At any rate, here is the post that was supposed to run last week.

I am so excited to introduce you to a person who I happen to believe is one of the most beautiful people on the planet. I may be slightly biased, as I am her mother, but she is unequivocally beautiful nonetheless.

The Chick Magnet and I make it a point to tell our daughter, Madison, on a very frequent basis, how beautiful she is. And while we absolutely think she is physically beautiful, we try not to focus too much on her physical characteristics. We do affirm her physical beauty, because what little girl doesn’t want to hear that from those she loves? But we try very hard to explain to her where we feel her true beauty lies.

Before she was born, I prayed and prayed that Madison would have a personality like my husband’s. I was scared out of my mind to raise a girl. I had issues with girls growing up-most of my good friends were guys and I felt I could relate to guys better. I grew up with two younger brothers. As a counselor in my pre-motherhood days, I worked exclusively with boys. I always wanted a gaggle of boys running around my house.

So, when we found out our first was a girl, I was on my knees constantly. We’ve long established I have issues, so I was so desperate to be sure I didn’t raise my daughter to have the same issues, thoughts and feelings about herself as I do myself. I prayed and prayed that she would look like and act like my husband-laid-back, peaceful, calm and self-assured-with his cute dimples, of course.

Imagine my surprise when she was born and she slept through the night her second night home. Of course, I was a paranoid wreck hovering over her bassinet to see if she was still breathing. She’s been the same ever since. Cool, calm and collected, with the absolute sweetest personality.

While Madison is truly beautiful on the outside, what is most stunning about her, is who she is, on the inside. She has the most amazing heart. She truly empathizes with those who are hurting and can’t stand to see anyone suffer. Even as a child as young as two, if she ever saw someone cry, she would cry too. It’s like she has a visceral, physical reaction when she sees other people who are hurting.

Another thing about my daughter that simply exemplifies beauty is her confidence. You can tell she is a girl who knows she is loved and accepted. She can make friends with anyone and talk to anybody about anything, anytime. This fact scared me a bit when she was really young because she was just SO trusting of other people. She never really experienced that stranger anxiety that my boys have, and she was just always happy no matter who she was around. I remember being in the airport one time, she couldn’t have been more than two, and her making fast friends with another child who was there, and at that moment, I realized that she would totally walk off with them if they asked her to!

Another way Madison expresses her confidence and beauty is by standing up for what she believes in. She can’t stand injustice and can’t stand to see anyone left out. I have seen her, time and time again, stick up for those younger than her, less fortunate than her, or those she feels have been wronged in some way.

One thing I love about Madison, and so wish this was a quality I possess, is that she has the ability to talk to anyone. She is just as comfortable striking up conversations with adults as she is with a two-year-old. Just yesterday we spent the day at the park with a local homeschool group. This was our first time meeting these moms and children and I was anxious and nervous the whole time. Not Madison though-she made fast friends with several girls there-older and younger-and is already planning a sleepover! She makes me at ease in social situations I might otherwise avoid altogether if it weren’t for my social butterfly.

Obviously, Madison has inherited none of my self-image issues. She is comfortable in her own skin and always ready to try something new. I love that girl and she defines the word “beautiful” for me. I totally don’t know what I ever did to deserve her, but I am so incredibly blessed to call her my own.