I wrote this song after watching the interactions of some toddler-aged girls, and some teenage girls. It occurred to me that, barring unfortunate accidents that disfigure, there are no ugly toddler girls. They all know they are beautiful, and they are right. They have an inner radiance that shines, regardless of any physical characteristic. When they smile at adults, EVERYONE smiles back.
It is more than that they are beautiful, however. They know that they ARE beauty, and they know that they bring joy. No, I don't mean that toddlers have philosophical discussions or thoughts. I mean that they know something about themselves that is not rational, yet is nevertheless true.
By the time they get to be teenagers, however, most of them have forgotten where their beauty comes from. Instead, they focus on outward appearances alone, and I think they forget who they are.
That is strongly reinforced by the brutally Darwinian youth culture of pair selection. It is different in every culture, yet it is always the same. External characteristics trump depth, every time.
And so they learn to cover who they are, and hide, and try to forget the innocence of their first joyful selves. Sometimes I think the ones who suffer most terribly are the ones who win--the head cheerleaders, the prom queens, and other "alpha" girls. They see their own flaws, and know they cannot make it last. I think it is harder for them to learn their beauty is on the inside than it is for any of the others.
As they get older, and age begins to make its inevitable changes, it only gets worse. Each tiny mark of age combines with all prior "flaws" to tear down a woman's self esteem that much more.
Yet, if she can remember who she really is, a woman's beauty will continue to increase throughout her life. That toddler girl is still there, inside, lifting her hands in joy. She knows that she IS beauty, and no signs of age or imperfect body can reduce the gift of joy she can give the world.
I realize that as a Clueless Male(TM), it is extremely arrogant for me to talk about what is in a woman's heart. Yet it breaks MY heart to see women I care about worry so much about the externals that they forget that their inner, feminine, beautiful selves are untouched, and always have been there.
At the same time, my heart is almost overwhelmed with joy when I see a woman of ANY age enjoying who she is, as someone who IS beauty. This has nothing to do with age, sexuality, or external factors.
You ARE beauty, and you were made for joy.
YOU ARE READING
Toddler Girl (song)
PoetryThis song is for every woman or girl who ever looked in the mirror, and questioned her worth because of how she looked. This may be the most important thing I've written in my life.
