Warnings: ...None!
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Being Happy - Quality 1 - Self-Esteem
'You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.'
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Being Happy - Quality 1 - Self-Esteem
'You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe, deserve your love and affection.'
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Henri isn’t perfect. She’s a bit loud and ‘bubbleheaded’, with a side of ‘too damn energetic’. She’s short for her age. She’s got a non-existent chest when she doesn’t wear a bra. She’s skinny, with no muscle mass whatsoever. She doesn’t look before she leaps, and the heart on her sleeve makes her an easy target for sarcastic remarks. Hell, one could even go as far to say ‘Henri’s a girl.’, and leave it at that.
(But Henri doesn’t see any of that when she looks at the mirror. Or if she does, she certainly doesn’t make a point to let them bring her down.)
Once upon a time, Edward found his baby sister, age 8, crying in her room because she thought she was too small and ‘scrawny’, as one kid told her, to play with the neighborhood children. Edward, age 15 and awkward, sat her down and calmly told her that yes, she was very small for her age and probably couldn't put up a good fist fight. However, he said when she erupted into more tears, Henri had more qualities to her than just ‘small’ and ‘weak’.
She was quick on her feet, and came up with much better games than those sticks-in-the-mud. She smiled a heck of a lot more than most people did at her age, which said a lot about the people they grew up around. Henri was much braver than them, and dared to do things those kids were too chicken to do.
Who else had enough guts to walk along the top of the roof of a two-story house, as a dare, without showing any fear? Even after falling off it and breaking her leg in 3 places, Henri hadn’t cried.
Fainted at the sight of her leg twisted at a painful angle? Oh yes.
But when she woke up, moments later, she hadn’t cried or screamed in pain. Henri had taken it in good stride, even after their parents had scolded her on it. She’d put on her bravest (for a 6-year-old) face when the doctor had set the bones. She even smiled and told everyone not to worry ‘cause she’d be a-okay real soon and wouldn’t do something like that again. With a giggle, no less!
Edward assured her not to focus on her weaknesses, or else she wouldn’t see the great qualities that made her a great person. She had flaws, yes, and if she had people pointing them out to her so much then they didn’t deserve to be around her. Because how was she going to be able to experience love and happiness if she couldn’t even love herself?
To focus on ones strengths made a person much happier than trying to change ones weaknesses, Henri learned that as she went through life. In order to be happier, one had to love themselves and…sometimes that could be hard for most people. Sometimes, it took another person to point out something good for one to realize…they’re special. To feel liked or loved by someone, because there’s something about you that makes them smile…anyone would feel happy. And they’d like themselves more, if they looked at the nicer, better things about them.
When Henri looks at herself, she likes what she sees. She’s full of energy, and always willing to lend a hand to others. She has dimples that show when she smiles at her happiest moments. Her chest doesn’t get in the way when she carries her books or when she’s brewing some potions. She’s short enough that she doesn’t bump into tree branches and light enough to tackle her friends and not bowl them over. She smiles when she’s happy, and definitely frowns when something upsets her, unafraid to stand up for herself.
Henri isn't perfect, not by a long shot. And she’ll gladly keep it that way.
- TBC -
