Be Strong: I Know Who I Am :)

Last Monday I wrote a letter to our local newspaper. Wednesday I got an email from the editor saying that I had won "Letters Best" that week. This meant that my letter would be published in the paper, I would receive a mug with "I won Letters Best" written across it, and would get to attend a special breakfast on Presidents Day. I kept it to myself (for the most part) and waited for Sunday to arrive. When I woke up this morning, my letter was in the paper. My parents were a little surprised and didn't say much about it. At first I felt about 2 inches tall. I mean, I had just won a spot in the newspaper and it hardly received any recognition from the people who mean the most to me. But then I remembered something, the world does not stop spinning because I've done a good deed--in fact, hardly anyone will even see or read this article. But I know, within my heart, that the Lord is proud of me, he is proud that I had the courage to stand and speak out. And that brings me the greatest joy.

Letter Best: Weighed down

Instead of waking up in the morning and seeing a strong, healthy teen, we're tricked into seeing something we're not--an over sized, under dressed, sad excuse for a high school student. According to the South Carolina Department of Mental Health, anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents. Ninety-five percent of those who have eating disorders are between the ages of 12 and 25. Going against the norm is hard. And I've seen too many loved ones risk their health for the sake of popularity. They've been brought up by pop culture's values and have completely lost sight of their true beauty.

Audrey Hepburn once said, "The beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair. The beauty of a woman is seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart, the place where love resides. True beauty in a woman is reflected in her soul. It's the caring that she lovingly gives, the passion that she shows and the beauty of a woman only grows with passing years." And that, is something no scale can measure.

Rachael Porter, West Richland

I went to read the article online later and my heart sank as I read the few comments that had been made.

The first:

"I blame the parents first. They have the most influence and its easy to say.. oh the bad media. Take some responsibility mom and dad. If you are always focused on how fat you feel or the next diet you will be on, chances are your kids will too."

The second:

"Blame magazines like "Seventeen" & "Cosmopolitan" for some of the thinking.
You can also thank those who have the philosophy of true beauty is what is seen on Paris  & New York catwalks."

 

There's a big difference between the two opinions. The first almost broke my heart. Especially since I know from personal experience that it is not the parents fault. Nor is it anyones. We as individuals have the right to choose for ourselves if we succumb to the pressures of this world. It is our agency that we exercise when making these decisions.  

I encourage everyone to watch this video and remember who you are, and where you come from.

With love,

Rachael