I see you watching me, and I can see your gears turning as you evaluate me. Your subtle hints, I take as revision notes, critiques, and I get to work. Let me be more like you. Let me mimic what you do. You’ll never notice me disappear into a knock-off you, even as I mourn the loss of myself, deem the whole thing twisted and unfair.
That’s what people-pleasing can do to me. The thing is, I’m pretty sure you don’t really notice what I do with me, how like you I would have myself be, but I do. Copying you means smashing my feet into glass slippers that don’t fit, an endeavor sure to end in failure.
Hope comes in realizing there’s a Prince with a glass slipper fitted just for me. He invites me to be the me He created to love.
I am created to be loved, not to be you.
And you? You’re created to be loved as you, too.
P.S. This isn’t an official Chosen and Approved post, but I did write it in honor of that series, which started Tuesday and can be found here, and in honor of the 31 Days of 5 Minute Free Writes, which you can learn more about here. Links to all of my 31 Days free writes are here.
Beautifully said, Emily!
I really like this !
Loved this! Short, eloquent and to the point. How can we get young girls to hear this message?
Thanks, Stephanie! It does often fall on deaf ears, doesn't it? I think the answer is to make it their native language, to begin speaking it to them long before they begin to believe otherwise. And even if that first chance has passed, our lives can speak truth loudly enough to get through. So grateful for those who speak that truth to me 🙂