Pretty on the Inside

"Mommy, look at my hair. Aren't I pretty, Mama?" She prances in front of the mirror, skipping back and forth on her tip-toes.

"Yes, love," I say sincerely, because she IS a very pretty little girl.

She continues: "And I am just SO pretty, Mama, the prettiest girl in school!"

I sit her down so I can tie her shoe. "Yes," I say again, trying to form the words I want to say to her, to convey what I mean in ways that mean something to a 5-year-old girl. "It's nice to be pretty on the outside, sweetheart... but it's better to be pretty on the inside."

She cocks her head as she looks at me, trying to understand my meaning. "What I mean is, lots of times people can be pretty on the outside, but ugly on the inside; they can be mean or just not very nice. It's much more important to be a sweet girl, a NICE girl. And a smart girl, too, one who uses her brains."

"I'm smart, Mommy," she says.

"Yes, honey. And you're nice to people, too."

She reaches out and hugs me close. "I can be pretty on the inside AND pretty on the outside."

Yes, love. Yes, you can.