Tonight, my three year old daughter wore her Elsa AND Anna dresses with her way too big, dress-up, pink high heel shoes on the wrong feet, three beaded necklaces, seven fancy hair ties worn as bracelets that made their way half way up her right arm, and a super sparkly purse perfectly placed over her shoulder.

She commanded, “ALEXA, PLAY FROZEN!” and when her trusty friend obeyed, she went near her and whispered, “Good girl, Alexa. Let’s dance.”

Somewhere in her four-part performance (she is, of course, Elsa, Anna, Olaf, AND Kristoff), she caught a glimpse of herself in the reflection in the window.

In an instant, she ran to the bathroom and was reaching for the “hair spray” (leave in conditioner) and brush in the bathroom. She said, “Let me do it, Mom”, walked out, and busted open the door to my bedroom.

I walked in to find her standing just two inches away from the full sized mirror brushing her hair… smiling at herself.

“I look beautiful, Mommy! Right?!"

I scrambled for the right words. Because, of course she looks beautiful. She IS beautiful. But, I know my words are powerful and I send her messages with each phrase I utter.

I said, “You are always beautiful, inside and out.”

I am not sure she even heard me because she started singing her newest rendition of “Let It Go” mid-sentence and continued to relish in her own joy.

I sat on my bed watching her dance and sing in the mirror.

I thought, Oh, my sweet girl. I pray you always see the beauty in your reflection and feel the beauty in your soul.

When the dresses become less about twirling in tulle and more about the way the color and cut of the fabric appears your body, I pray you always see the beauty in your reflection and feel the beauty in your soul.

When the hair tools become less about doing an everyday thing by yourself and more about the way the color and cut of the styles appear on your face, I pray you always see the beauty in your reflection and feel the beauty in your soul.

When the jewelry becomes less about matching pieces together for fun and more about the way the color and cut of the stones appear on your body parts, I pray you always see the beauty in your reflection and feel the beauty in your soul.

When the shoes become less about clicking and clacking to your favorite song in our living room and more about the way the color and cut of the heels or soles appear on your outfit, I pray you always see the beauty in your reflection and feel the beauty in your soul.

While I sat there watching her, I suddenly caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror as well.

Right as I was about to fill my head with the long list of ways of I could look better and feel better, I pictured my mom sitting behind me, watching me look at myself in the mirror.

I am certain I spent hours of my younger years dancing in front of her mirrors.

And I am also certain my mother sat on her bed watching me, praying the same prayer I prayed tonight.

And so in that moment there with my little girl in front of me and my mother inside of my heart, I saw beauty in our reflection and felt beauty in our souls.

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