Letter: Taking heart from messages about beauty

Graphic by Lori Deaton

A few years ago, I was walking down the street when I glanced at a telephone pole, and I saw a glint of silver. When I looked closer, I saw that it was a silver sticker with the words “You Are Beautiful” printed on it in black letters.

Seeing this sticker made me feel lighter about my appearance. I saw these stickers all around town, and I was touched that someone would leave this message for a stranger to find. I was also grateful that there was some voice, even if it was just a sticker, contradicting the negative body image that our modern world is constantly pushing.

It’s essential that there are positive messages about body image in the world to contradict negative ones because otherwise, young women’s self-esteem just keeps getting bombarded by societal expectations. When faced with million-dollar advertising industries, cultivating a positive body image can feel impossible, but it is in moments like these, when simple stickers remind people that they are beautiful, that we can see ourselves in a positive light, that we remember it is possible.

So the next time you feel insecure about how you look, remember — even if there isn’t a sticker nearby — you are beautiful.

— Juniper Finneron
Seventh grade student
Asheville

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