Dear Edith,

Growing up a little girl these days isn’t easy. When I look at you, I long for you to hold onto your innocence, but I’m already seeing it slip away. Gone are the days when you would unabashedly layer tutus with capes with scarves and head to the park, proud in your fantastical wear. Now, I observe your awareness of others’. I see you picking your outfits for school with careful intention (as I write this, you are dressed as a mermaid in the bath.. so not all is lost). 

You know that I work on people’s faces, and I help people feel good about how they look. You have seen me inject many of our friends and family. I want you to know that lines are beautiful. And, when you are older, if you want to try some of these procedures, that will be your choice to make. When I see you taking interest in my work, and I give you a little job so that you can help me, I wonder if maybe someday you will be a doctor, too. I want you to always believe and remember that you can be anything you want. I can only imagine how my work in beauty can influence you while you also grow up with all the pressures that girls encounter. 

As years go on, you will have all the pressures and conditioning of social media– endless marketing and unrealistic beauty norms of AI women– unrealistic expectations that you will grapple with. I cannot protect you absolutely from these inevitable unkindness you will experience as you grow. What I can do however, is try to model healthy behavior and self love– which, turns out, takes a bit of awareness. It has been hard for me to always love my body, and I yearn for you to be free of that struggle. I hope that you can always feel safe to talk to me about how you’re feeling, the doubts you’re having, and the ways you want to express yourself in your body. I want to be an inspiring and healthy role model for you, and if that’s not what I’m doing, I hope you can always feel safe to let me know and ask for what you need. I’m always learning, too. 

You will go through many changes as you grow, mature, and age. Sometimes growing older can be scary, and society doesn’t always value our elders. I hope that my work and the culture of our family is fortifying you in your sense of self worth. I hope that the intentionality of my practice helps to show that you can make smart choices. I hope that you always feel rooted in yourself as you create your own balance of what it means to feel beautiful.

Love always,

xo
h.