Have you surfed the net lately? Notice anything particularly odd about today’s young girls? They’re all 13 going on 21! So, I’m wondering, Who sent out the memo to today’s generation to grow up as quickly as possible?
Don’t get me wrong, when I was 13 I snuck makeup, stuffed my bra and otherwise tried to act more mature than I was. But, it ended there. I didn’t have a Myspace account (it didn’t even exist then. Boy, does that make me feel old!) with pictures of me in a cleavage bearing tee and underwear. Nor, did I walk around with an attitude of someone who’d lost their innocence and was proud of it. So, what’s with the about-face? My generation (I’m on the tail end of Generation X) and the one after me are only a few years apart. Break that down into modern day language: I’m traditional/conservative/prude and they’re modern/empowered/sexually free.
Wha??
My heart goes out to these girls who have been pressured into skipping their formative years. It seems to be that the parents have dropped the ball. A little girl needs to be cherished and taught about her inner beauty before she should be allowed to express her outer and superficial beauty. In my opinion, the order of things has been slightly scrambled.
(Enter Dr. Sazaran)
When girls aren’t reinforced in their homes, they choose the world to fill that void. My parents were so strong in their actions toward me- I was reminded on a constant basis how proud of me they were. I grew up knowing that they thought be to be beautiful, smart, strong and integritas. Only after my self esteem (and understanding of boundaries) were established was I able to take that step toward “womanhood”. But, not a moment before.
My message to girls aged 12-16: Be who you are on the inside! If you don’t love yourself for your non-temporal qualities, you will be lost when your beauty fades. Find a strong woman who does not need to wear her sexuality on her sleeve and learn from her. There is so much more to being a woman than bearing all and leaving little for the imagination. And, please! Don’t grow up too fast; we’ve lost enough of our innocence, there will be nothing left if you abandon it.
My message to women whom girls look up to: Don’t drop the ball!! Be strong enough to think not only of yourselves, but of the little girls who want to grow up and be like you. Take a stand and go against the flow. It is so much better to impact a girl’s self esteem in a positive way, than to be remembered by the way your hips sway.
My message to parents: To those of you who have diligently taught your girls that inner beauty is more valuable than cup size, Bravo! Keep on keepin’ on. For all others, please begin to realize the damage that Hollywood and other artificial influences have on your children. Don’t expose them to mature content beyond their comprehension, or explain to them the truth about morality and self image.
Proverbs 31:30
“Charm and grace are deceptive, and beauty is vain [because it is not lasting], but a woman who reverently and worshipfully fears the Lord, she shall be praised!”
-Sazaran
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