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Our daughters need us not to be perfect.

They need us to be messy, raw, and real,

admitting our mistakes and apologizing for them,

pink in the cheeks with embarrassment,

and feeling our feelings with tears in the corners of our eyes.

They need to hear us discussing our struggles with them. They weren’t there to witness them all, so they may think we never had any.

But let’s tell them what we overcame, so no shame exists between us, and they’ll feel comfortable revealing their authentic selves, too.

We want our daughters to view mistakes as an opportunity to learn and grow, not a failure.

Because gosh, we should be tired of hearing about girls uncomfortable in their skin, poking, prodding, and tugging at their stomachs when they don’t live up to their own expectations,

looking in the mirror and feeling not enough.

So no, we shouldn't want girls who smile pretty, don’t take risks, and keep themselves small stuck in a perfectionist mind.

We should want our girls strong, resilient, and BRAVE.

Girls who go after challenges just like our boys who are always encouraged to play rough, climb high, and reach for the stars.

So our daughters need us not to be perfect,
so, they, too, can reach for the stars
for themselves, and each and every woman after them
to become the brave and imperfect humans, they were meant to become.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book "Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder" is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId