But No Duck Face

You entered this world during a time where social media was really first taking off. Yes, I suppose at this point we've had Facebook for ten years (and before that, a thing called MySpace that has since become extinct I'm sure), but it's really only become such a significant part of our culture recently. Did you know that there used to be a time when people would brush their teeth in the morning before checking their Facebook newsfeed? It's true! Social media is part of our routine because it's not only how we choose to communicate with one another, it's how we express ourselves. The quintessential mode of self-expression, of course, is the selfie - a term only recently introduced into our vernacular.

I think this video provides an interesting perspective on the selfie, and how this self-expression has the power to redefine our society's concept of beauty. I especially like how it talks about how we influence each other when it comes to our perception of beauty, and how mothers have a particularly significant responsibility when it comes to this.

I hope you'll see this when you're 13. And I hope that by that point, I've set a good example to show you that confidence is the most beautiful physical attribute any person can have. I promise not to comment on your appearance, knowing that even something I view as a compliment can come across as criticism to a sensitive tween. I also promise not to be critical of myself, knowing that you can mirror everything I say about my appearance. I won't even comment on this scar and the resulting pooch and the fact that my abs will never be the same, because even that is beautiful - it's proof that you grew inside me, and that makes me love it.