The Joy of Be-YOU-tiful

A little reminder from a be-YOU-tiful group of women.

As the wise Dr. Seuss stated, "Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.". Yet, somehow, we all try to be someone else or be a better "me". We try to be neater. We try to be more stylish. We try to be more organic, healthier, funnier, wittier, Dyno-Mom, Hot Wife and best BFF EVER! We try to save more money than last month. We try to fold the laundry when the dryer buzzer calls us. We find ways to earn money without disturbing the family schedule. We try new recipes made with fresh ingredients served on real plates. We try to best Pinterest, post fun facts to Facebook and tweet itty bitty thoughts on Twitter. We try to diagnose Miley Cyrus and Lindsay Lohan. We bake cookies for playdates and dinners for new Moms because we are trying to be June Cleaver in the 21st Century. We pack lunches, prepare snacks, read books, review homework, attempt Common Core Math problems and sign permission slips. We try to be the most amazing co-worker, boss, manager on the planet. All while smiling prettily because gosh knows someone might be snapping their SmartPhone and pasting an Instagram photo of you with your skirt tucked in your underwear while waiting in line at the grocery store with the caption: "Yeah, this is real, people!". Sigh.
Guess what? You are being exactly who you should be because the world needs you, exactly as you were made. You are somebody's jelly to their peanut butter. You are somebody's tomato sauce to their spaghetti noodle. You are the missing piece to an amazing puzzle. Even on your worst day ever, you are exactly where you need to be cleaning up the messes that perhaps someone else made. Because you are you and you are to be loved, endeared and hugged...a lot.
Back in my career days at a creative event planning agency, we had weekly staff meetings to keep everyone current on what was happening in the office. I have to say, our ladies in charge did a good job of making sure things did not get stale in the board room. But one of my favorite times was when we were each given a blank strip of paper and the following instructions. We were to write our name at the top of the paper and then pass the paper to our left. When the strip of paper came to us with someone's else's name written on top, we were to write down our favorite quality about that person. Fold the paper up so our answer was hidden and pass to the left until our little piece of tightly folded paper slid back in front of us. We were not to open until we returned to our desk. Our agency was small - we had 10-12 full time employees and maybe an intern or two milling around our cubicles. And one male, so imagine the anticipation to move through the meeting quickly. Women have a hard time waiting to open up anything, much less a piece of paper with compliments listed. That was probably our fastest staff meeting in history. Before we adjourned, we were told this paper was not to go home. Not to be shoved in our wallets or purse. Not crumpled up and tossed in a waste can but to find a home in the top drawer of our desk so we could be reminded that even on our worst day, we had special qualities. And that someone thought enough of that unique quality to write it down - just for you.
I will tell you that piece of paper became tattered and worn and sadly, I have no idea where that quality list is hiding on this given day. But, as all of us know, we have our bad days when we feel unloved, unwanted, unforgiven, unknown and undone. Wouldn't it be nice to have a little list to remind us why we are special? Wouldn't it be nice to sit down and look at words that describe you and only you? Wouldn't it be nice to do that for someone you know - just out of the blue? Well, Mother's Day is just a few short days away. And just a fun little gift to think about sending, even if it's through email. We make those to do lists, those grocery lists, those errand lists and blah, blah, blah. Wouldn't it be fun to make a joyful list for someone else? Wouldn't it be fun to feel the joy spread through your heart as you remember all the wonderful things that makes this person "you"-nique? Special enough that their name made a very important list that will never be published for the world, but will be treasured like a first edition work of art. A list that everyone is dying to be on, truly.
As you end your day today, remember you are be-YOU-tiful. You are "YOU-nique". And as I overheard a woman say to her daughter the other day, "No boy should ever ask you to change. You were made special and someone out there will see that specialness and want to treasure you as God intended. You, darlin', are like no one else in this world. Don't ever forget that - ever.". I wanted to hug this Mom and let her know she was making the world a more be-YOU-tiful place. And I can't wait to tell my daughter these exact words - with a joyful heart, of course. So go on, let the be-YOU-tification project begin and remember: "Today you are YOU, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is YOUER than You."