When I was young teenager, one of my favorite books/movies was Princess Diaries. (Okay, it's STILL one of my favorite, to be honest.) A story about a girl who was awkward in both looks and personality? Oh yes...I could relate to that. To see her transformed into a princess and still be her same awkward self... there was something about that that my 14 year old self really needed!
The soundtrack to that movie became a bit of a soundtrack to me too. One of my favorites was Backstreet Boys' 'What Makes You Different':
I know sometimes you feel like you don't fit in
And this world doesn't know what you have within
When I look at you, I see something rare
A rose that can grow anywhere (grow anywhere)
And there's no one I know that can compare
What makes you different (alright) makes you beautiful (alright)
What's there inside you (alright) shines through to me
In your eyes I see, all the love I'll ever need
You're all I need, oh girl
What makes you different, makes you beautiful to me
You guys... I was an AWKWARD kid/teen. I was a tiny thing with glasses and crazy uncooperative hair. We didn't have a lot of money, so my clothes were not super high end or fashionable, though we did the best we could with what we had at the time. Add in being exceptionally shy and anxious, and like I said...awkward! Let's be honest... as a kid, it's tough to be different! We wanted to be accepted and to look just like everyone else. It can be tough at that age to feel like you never quite fit in.
Okay, okay... even at 31 it's tough to feel that way. And while I cannot say that I am any less awkward... I have and am still learning that those words in that song I loved as a teenager are absolutely true--- what makes us different, makes us beautiful! As Tyra Banks always says, you can fix it or you can flaunt it... and in my own looks I have found myself doing a fair share of both. As I got older, I found the products and the hairstyles that have worked best for my still stubborn hair...and when all else fails I've learned to embrace the messy buns. I've learned more about fashion and how to get great deals on clothes so that I can dress how I choose even on a budget. Those are things I was able to fix. But those glasses that I thought made me so awful looking as a teenager? Well, THOSE I learned to embrace. Oh sure, I tried contacts once upon a time... but they did not work out for me in the slightest and so I found ways to make my glasses a part of my own personal style with bold designs, fun colors and a variety of styles to choose from. Now, I love it when someone comments on my glasses because I know that they are just part of my own personal look!
As a mom, I now try to teach my kids that lesson that they don't have to be just like everyone else. Not just on the outside, but on the inside too. Having an autistic child, I know that this is an especially important message. Still, try as I might... kids don't always believe their parents, do they? That is why films like the upcoming 'UglyDolls' are so important! They can relate to kids in a fun way, giving them that oh so important message that they need to hear...that it's okay to be different! Take a look:
In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weird is celebrated, strange is special and beauty is embraced as more than simply meets the eye. Here, the free-spirited Moxy and her UglyDoll friends live every day in a whirlwind of bliss, letting their freak flags fly in a celebration of life and its endless possibilities. The endearingly unique residents of Uglyville occasionally look to the sky above the town, where a new UglyDoll will appear and be embraced by the community.
Moxy (Kelly Clarkson) loves her square-peg life in this round-hole town, but her curiosity about all things leads her to wonder if there’s something – anything – on the other side of the mountain which nestles Uglyville. Moxy gathers a group of her closest friends and sets off to find what’s on the other side. They discover another world – Perfection – a town where more conventional dolls are trained in protocols before they graduate and are sent to the “real” world to find the love of a child.
How cute does this movie sound!? My kids cannot wait to see it...and thankfully, the wait is almost over! UGLYDOLLS will be in theaters tomorrow, May 3!
What imperfection have you had to learn to embrace? How did you overcome that? Why are YOU excited to see UGLYDOLLS with your family?
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