My Gal Friday - Pamela from Over50feeling40

Today's Gal Friday is Pam from Over50feeling40. She is an amazing woman and teacher who is about to share a very personal story.

What do you think is your best feature and why?  

I was blessed to be born with thick healthy hair.  I did not appreciate it until I was older and began to realize how many people are not blessed with a thick healthy head of hair.  I now understand what a blessing it is!!

What do you think is your best (non physical) trait and why?  

I have developed as a teacher, writer, mother, wife, and friend an ability to inspire others.  It is a gift from above granted to me; so that I can see and understand where people need an encouraging word the most.

What (non physical) traits do you admire in others?   

There are so many!!  I love creativity in people…whether it is music, art, photography, writing…whatever, I love creativity.  I also love people who are honest and willing to be vulnerable with their struggles in life.  I love diligence and determination to excel in adults and students. I love grace….the ability to forgive and understand.

What three words would you use to describe yourself?  

Strong…Confident…Determined

Is there anything about yourself that at one time bothered you but now you love?  

I used to hate my hazel eyes.  I thought beautiful people had blue eyes…weird, I know…but that it what I thought as a youth.  Now, I love my eyes.  Some days, they are green and some days they are gold…and some days they are yellow.  It is really cool!!

If you could give kids a piece of advice about having a positive self image, what would it be?  

I encourage my students to understand that God does not make mistakes.  They have been created by Him, for a purpose, for this time.  He knows exactly who they are and what they look like.  His purposes are far greater than attempting to alter who they are to please another individual (to get a boyfriend, to be popular, etc.).  If we would put our efforts into developing our gifts instead of attempting to be something we think is attractive to society, there is no telling what incredible things we could accomplish in the world.  I would love to see students spending less time on Face Book, and more time into doing something BIG with their gifts right now, right where they are.  Look at the teens who have received job offers because of successful blogs they developed!!  That is putting your time into developing gifts!!  Have confidence in your gifting and who you were created to be and not spend time attempting to be something you are not!

What do you wish you hadn't worried about when you were younger?  What would you tell yourself if you could go back?  

I am going to share something here that is very personal, but I believe is important for this discussion.  I grew up in a household that was constantly full of fighting and dissension.  When I was 5, I began to sit outside and pull out every single eyelash.  It would be years later that I realized that this was a nervous, coping mechanism to the fighting in my home.  I lived from age 5 – 18 without any eyelashes!!  No one knew that I pulled them out…everyone including doctors were miffed as to why they were gone.  Talk about feeling strange as a teenage girl??  I NEVER felt pretty as a young girl…for many reasons, but particularly this one.  When I moved away from home to go to college, I allowed them to grow back and they have been long, thick and plush since then!  What would I tell myself?  I would tell that little girl that everything would be OK and that she did not have to worry about her home or her future.  I comfort her and teach her how to pray and meet God so that she did not have to worry.  I would bring her the needed assistance to cope so that her eyelashes would grow!

What do you see when you look in the mirror?
Today, I see a beautiful, strong, joyful, dignified woman!  I see a woman I believe looks younger than her age (57); yet, she has learned many lessons the hard way and desires to help others with what she has learned.  

Anything else you would like to share about positive body image/inner beauty?
It took me until age 53 to completely accept myself…my age, my curvy body, the wrinkles around my mouth, etc.  There was so much joy and confidence that came the day that happened!!  I encourage others…..DON’T WAIT THAT LONG!!  Learn to love who and what you have been created to be TODAY!  You will enjoy life so much more if you will do that!  Also, learn to get to know others and not judge them on appearances!  We miss out knowing some incredible people in this world, because we shove them into boxes and judge them by what we see on the outside.  DON’T be that way….get to know people, laugh and cry with them.  You will receive joy back when you do!!

Pam, thank you so much for sharing your story. It's so amazing how you were able to take such a terrible situation and use it to grow into the confident woman you are today. True happiness can only come when we learn to accept ALL of ourselves. Thanks for the reminder! :)