Growing up in this world isn’t easy. There are so many unrealistic images set by companies. In a world full of photoshop, it’s no wonder so many girls struggle with body dysmorphia and eating disorders. Beauty is an unrealistic standard set by the press. The press makes it out to be only about looks. People think they have to be a size zero and have high cheekbones to be beautiful. Scientifically speaking, what makes a person beautiful is how symmetrical their face is. But what really makes a person beautiful? Is it their smile, or the size of their waist?
To me, beauty is what lies within. I know, I know, that sounds totally cheesy. But when it comes down to it, I don’t believe a person can be beautiful without having a good soul. You can be a size zero with the highest cheekbones imaginable, but if you aren’t nice to people, and do good things, all that physical beauty disappears. I have made friends with great people, and they don’t come in a standard presentation. I know the nicest people who may have crooked teeth and unruly hair, but they have done amazing acts of kindness. I’ve seen people pay for other kids’ sports programs because they don’t feel that it’s right for those kids to not be able to participate. One time, my family and I decided to go to Carabba’s for dinner. As usual, the restaurant was packed on a Friday night. We had to wait for over an hour. My brother and I were trying to be really patient, but we were super hungry. All of a sudden, a man walks over with two Shirley Temples. He gave them to my brother and I. Why, you might ask? He told my parents that he saw us waiting patiently and was impressed by us. But honestly, I just think he was a good person. Apparently, he was friends with the owner of the restaurant. He made sure that we were seated less than five minutes after he had just spent his own money on us for no real reason. Two drinks may seem so little, but the kindness of that man is something that I will never forget. That man is a beautiful person, though he may not have “belonged” on the cover of Vogue.     To me, that is beautiful. But to you, beauty might be different. You know what, that’s okay. We shouldn’t have to live by beauty standards set by the press. We should be able to decide for ourselves what truly is beautiful. The press is a powerful dictator, regulating how we should feel about our bodies. Our bodies are amazing, no matter what the press says is hip or beautiful. Our bodies house our greatest gift, life. The package that life comes in shouldn’t matter. Why does physical beauty rule our lives, when what we do with our life matters the most? When it comes to the question on what it means to be beautiful, I think we can all agree that life is beautiful. It is a gift bestowed from a higher power, whether that power is god or the universe.