Definition of Beauty | Houston Family Photographer

"I'm not pretty enough. I'm not skinny enough. I have too many wrinkles. My skin isn't clear enough."

Those are some of the many lies that we as women tell ourselves, or rather the lies we are told. We have perfection crammed down our throats at every turn. We're fooled to believe that we have to look a certain way or have a certain number show up on the scale in order to be considered beautiful. It's hard to keep up, particularly after having children. But let's face it, it's really all a bunch of nonsense. Most of what you see in the movies, on TV, and in magazines is not reality. Even for some of the models that are pictured, Photoshop plays a heavy role in what we see. I'm sure, or at least I hope, that you are already aware of that.

So let's talk about what should be seen as beautiful.

You.

You and all of the reality that surrounds you. The you that loves the people in your life so deeply and selflessly. The you who works night and day to help care for and make a way for the little ones you carried for 9 months and brought into this world. The you that hoped and prayed that you would be the mother chosen by the birth mother to raise the child they were carrying. The you who spent months and years enduring painful procedures and tearful nights hoping to one day be afforded the privilege to carry your baby for 40 weeks. The you who knows when to take time for yourself. To take a minute to breathe and recharge. The you who isn't always perfect, isn't always fashionable, and doesn't always have it all together, but who works so hard to let your children know their mother loves them and their father more than anything in the world. 

I hear it all the time in my photography business. I hear mom's insecurities. The fear of having their picture taken, and the belief that they just don't look good enough. But what I see when I look at the mother's that I photograph and meet along the way is the overwhelming expression of joy on  her face when talking about how her child took their very first steps. When she can't help but smile from ear to ear when her little girl picks a flower and places it in her hand. The look of glee when her little boy is running to leap into her arms, giving her the biggest hug he's ever given in his little life. And that peaceful look on her face when she holds her little one so tight to let them know that momma is there, erasing any tiny fear and replacing it with the reassurance that only their mother can provide. You are fearfully and wonderfully made by the Creator of all things, and our value and beauty does not lie in the things that this world tells us it does. It lies in the beauty within the person that God has made you to be.

One of the best parts about it all is that your child sees all of this beauty too. They think, or rather know that their mother is gorgeous! They do not compare you to the woman on the magazine cover. They do not worry about if you have grey hair showing, and not for one minute do they look at the number on the scale or what size pants you wear. All they see is their amazing, hard working, devoted, caring, and absolutely gorgeous Mom. All they know to be true is that their Mom is the most beautiful woman they've ever seen.  And they want is to remember you the way you are today, tomorrow, and for as long as you are together on this earth. Think about your favorite photos from  your childhood. Was your mom in them? Do you wish that you had more photos of her? That's precisely why it's so important that you are documented right along side your family. Just as much as you want photos to remember all of their little details, your children want that reminder of you and the times you have enjoyed together.

So please, I'm begging you, do not allow what insecurities you might have rob you and your children of having memories of you preserved in photographs. Get your phone out, turn your camera to front facing, and snap a cute photo of you with your child. Don't always have it facing away from you. And next time you start comparing yourself to other people, the magazine covers, or society's false, sometimes debilitating, standards, remember that YOU are what beautiful looks like. Remind yourself that you are more than an age, a number on a scale,  or a size on a tag. Your beauty is defined by so much more than all of those things to the ones who love you, and see you for exactly what you are.

You are the definition of beauty.

"Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as elaborate hairstyles and the wearing of gold jewelry or fine clothes. 
 Rather, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight."
1 Peter 3 : 3-4

Nikki G.

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Olive Shoot Photography
Houston Family Photographer
Documenting beautiful emotions rather
than just another pretty picture.