Monday, April 5, 2010

That Little Girl

Today, I was going to post about "Continuing Beauty Challenge Number 2" (my feet), but I'm going to put that one off and tell you about a little girl.  She is pictured at the left, with her very cute younger brother.  That little girl is me.  Looking at her (and remembering her), I can see that she is not perfect.  She has red hair, freckles, a habit of squinting, knobby knees and a very tentative smile.  I can also see that she is a precious child, whom I would hug if I could, because she deserves hugging.  I would encourage her, forgive her when she makes mistakes, and reassure her that she is pretty (remembering what my mother told me: pretty is as pretty does, and knowing that this little girl tries her very best to be good).

I am still that little girl inside.  I suspect that we are all "that little girl" inside, but sometimes we forget.  I used to have a picture of my little girl self on my desk at work as a reminder.  The reason was (and is) that I am pretty hard on that little girl, all grown up.  I nag her about her mistakes, I focus on regrets, I belittle her appearance, sometimes I don't give her a moment's rest.  Sometimes the little girl inside me needs a hug, needs to be told that she is a good girl, and that she is loved.  It is up to grown-up me to do that, so that the little girl doesn't whither away and turn into a bitter, mean-spirited old lady.  I'm promising myself to do that.  The other thing I'll do is remember that there are other little girls around me (little boys, too), and treat them with tenderness.

Give your little girl a hug for me!

Annie Joy

5 comments:

Granny Sue said...

You're not just pretty.....you are beautiful, inside and out! I've always told Terry I wish I was as pretty as you are! Growing up my nickname was "horseface" cuz my face was so long and skinny with huge big brown eyes...I knew it wasn't meant as a compliment and it hurt terribly...but then I realized how beautiful horses are and decided it wasn't such a bad nickname afterall! I love you!!!!

A Hint of Home said...

I enjoyed my visit to your blog.
Thanks for stopping by. I hope you have a great week.

Happy@Home said...

This is my first visit to your blog and I must tell you that I really enjoyed this post. I can relate to your feelings. I keep a picture of myself as a little girl on my dresser for similar reasons. Good "food for thought" you are offering today.

Annie Joy said...

I'm so happy that you dropped by my blog because it led me to yours! Your profile statement said it all, especially for me since I have recently retired. I'm completely happy at home for all the reasons you listed and all the things you enjoy!
Annie Joy

Connie said...

Well, I am happy you found me, too, sugar!! I love when I get a new person to comment or follow me. It just brings me joy to know someone thinks they like what I write. I'm not a letter writer so much as an email ol' lady! LOL But it is nice meeting you and hope you come back again. You never know what to expect here really.
xoxo,
Connie

LinkWithin

Related Posts with Thumbnails

Recently Read Fiction Favorites

  • A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
  • A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
  • Alice I Have Been by Melanie Benjamin
  • Between, Georgia by Joshilyn Jackson
  • Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo
  • Broken for You by Stephanie Kallos
  • Confessions of a Former Rock Queen by Kirk Bjornsgaard
  • Every Last One by Anna Quindlen
  • Faithful Place by Tana French
  • Fly Away Home by Jennifer Weiner
  • Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
  • Gods in Alabama by Joshilyn Jackson
  • Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
  • Homer and Langley by E.L. Doctorow
  • Innocent by Scott Turow
  • My Name is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira
  • Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler
  • Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
  • Private Life by Jane Smiley
  • Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier
  • Roses by Leila Meacham
  • Sing Them Home by Stephanie Kallos
  • So Much For That by Lionel Shriver
  • South of Broad by Pat Conroy
  • That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo
  • The Children's Book by A.S. Byatt
  • The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Steig Larsson
  • The Girl Who Stopped Swimming by Joshilyn Jackson
  • The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
  • The Given Day by Dennis Lehane
  • The Good Daughters by Joyce Maynard
  • The Help by Kathryn Stockett
  • The Last Time I Saw You by Elizabeth Berg
  • The Lonely Polygamist by Brady Udall
  • The Murderer's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers
  • The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake by Aimee Bender
  • The Sky Took Him by Donis Casey
  • The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas
  • The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski
  • The Swimming Pool by Holly LeCraw
  • The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell
  • The Wind Comes Sweeping by Marcia Preston
  • Where the God of Love Hangs Out by Amy Bloom
  • Wolf Hall by Hillary Mandel
  • World Without End by Ken Follett
  • Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague by Geraldine Brooks

Favorite Nonfiction and Memoir

  • All Over but the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg
  • Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver
  • Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life by Anne Lamott
  • Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment and Reason by Nancy Pearl
  • Getting Over Getting Older by Lettie Cottin Pogrebin
  • Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis
  • Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America by Barbara Ehrenreich
  • Sharing the Journey: Women Reflecting on Life's Passages by Katherine Ball Ross
  • Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things by Randy O. Frost
  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey
  • The Artist's Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity by Julia Cameron
  • The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin by Benjamin Franklin
  • The Children's Blizzard by David Laskin
  • The Emperor of all Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee
  • The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Miguel Ruiz
  • The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
  • The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dustbowl by Timothy Egan