You will not be able to conceal her heart or cover up her grace or smooth out or moisten the creases of her confidence

You don’t need to whiten, tighten, or brighten anything about her

Her eyes are the center to my universe, they tell stories you don’t deserve to hear.

Her lashes are long, thick, strong and command authority-

when she blinks, her outlook clarifies, her resolve prickles-

She does not need to scrub off dead skin or smooth pores or gloss a pout— because she is nothing but alive,

rough in all the right places and—-

just so you know—

She already shines when she speaks her mind, shares what’s in her heart, says exactly what she means.

The beauty that she strives for she already holds inside of her—

it doesn’t need a serum or an oil or a spray to make it shine—

She’s already shining so damn bright.

If I haven’t already been clear, stay away from my daughter.

She may think that if she has a cart full of your things that she can:

sooner

revel in her own beauty

sooner

realize her promise and power

But…the world already knows her.

And sees her.

We see that her

hair,

her skin

the brightness of her smile

play second fiddle to

her mind

her heart

her strength

She is everything

your products claim to enhance

But she will not be reduced

girls

women

grandmothers

tweens swiping Tik Tok looking to be shinier, leaner, brighter.

We line up products like we should line up the women we love.

A line of strength and power and beauty and grace

A line that may show when you laugh or when you frown-

But never when you stand up for what you believe

Never when you say the perfect thing at the perfect moment

Never when you choose to lift someone up instead of cataloging their flaws

One thing I can’t swipe into my Amazon cart-

Is the woman who we all need

Not the mirror image that we’ve always wanted.

Because— it’s women that hold us.

Women that lift us.

Women that smooth over our rough parts and point to the mountains we’ve climbed.

Saying, “You’ve done all that. *You* have.”

So, this letter is really telling you that I will be deleting these things from the cart now-

and I’ll say my goodbye to all you’ve offered my daughter.

All you’ve offered me…

I don’t think we will be needing your services anymore.

We’re good.

Sincerely,

A Mother