Monster high

My daughter loves the new cartoon monster high. For those of you who don't have children that share this infatuation, it is about the children of all the monsters and their adventures in high school. At first  I didn't know what to think of this new phenomenon. However, as I watched it I realized that although it has the overtures of teenage drama attached, it also had a very cool and much needed lesson that stuck out. "Don't you want to be a monster too?" This is one of their theme questions. While their charectures are a little frightening at first, they carry with it the age old question: Is uniformity and an ideal look what defines beauty. If we look at literature throughout time, we see the same story told, some disfigured scary monster causing a stir only to realize that they were great and beautiful people. Quasimodo as the hunchback, Frankenstein's monster, etc. So why when many don't encourage monster high to their kids, do we let ours watch it? Well the othe day my daughter saw a mole on my body that she scrunched up her nose at and said "ewwww"! How did I feel? Well I've felt with the dislike of my many and some times large moles for most of my life. I will get over it now! However, it reminds you of how cruel we can be to ourselves and to others. Something that doesn't fit into our Barbie mentality of beauty, can become austrasized.  When austrasized we begin to feel angry and less important. This can lead to all kinds of other problems such as violence to our selves and others. If instead we can embrace the "monster" characteristics in ourselves and others that make us different, fun, and flavorful, our lives will be much more rich. Part of this falls on ourselves. A few years ago, I told a friend who was constantly having people make fun of his calves for bein skinny. Now this person worked and worked on his calves and they honestly look great! However, he was always worried that they were to skinny. So people were always commenting on how skinny they were. I told him to start thinking how big they were. He was projecting an image of himself and others who should prey on insecurities were grabbing it. Once he started making himself think a different way. People started telling him how great his legs were. I have found it is the same thing with all of us! If we think we are ugly, fat, thin, awesome, funny, great to be around, no fun to be around, etc. so we are. Instead do why my 9 year old is learning, be a monster and embrace your stitches, hump, mole, perfect skin, great personality and everything else that you are. Realize that you are the only one that can bring to the world what you bring. The more positive a spin you put on it in your own mind, the more your traits will bless others. "Don't you want to be a monster too?" As far as me, my moles and my daughter go, well, my husband says they are all constellations and just make me more interesting and beautiful. If she can understand that what we perceive as imperfections can be our beauty, she will be ahead of the game! Find your beauty in your differences and share so that others can find there's!