Dancing with Angels
I have had the same best friend for over ten years now. We found our womanhood and struggled through girlhood together. When we were about 14 we were obsessed with makeup, we had found our new love MAC. MAC was the best high fashion makeup out there, we were able to transform into adults with the simple movement of a brush. As got older and into high school I developed friendships with a group of girls who were “popular”. Three of them were cheerleaders; two were always on homecoming and prom court. I felt the pressure to be beautiful and fit into this stereotypical mold. Being a girl became was about wearing makeup, wearing the latest fashions, and having the perfect hair. My transformation in less than a year was significant. I went from wearing jeans and a t-shirt literally everyday to wearing skirts, dresses, and other preppy clothes. I felt the pressure to fit in. Something that stands out though is the comfortable environment around my best friend. My best friend has always and still is a very beautiful person naturally. She never cared too much what she was wearing and would go out without makeup, but was confident. To me this is what beauty is. She helped me find myself and be comfortable in my own skin.
I could relate to Jasmine’s story “Decent Guy on the Planet”. When I was 14 I had my first love. But, before he was my love he was one of my best friends. Like Jake, David was nice to everyone and fun to be around. He was cute and two years older. I noticed how I started paying more attention to my appearance. I always dressed nice, had my hair and makeup done when I was around him. I always had to look perfect. High school is a treacherous time when you don’t feel beautiful and are insecure, but my boyfriend helped me be secure. He would always tell me I was beautiful even when I did not feel this way. I truly became a different person; I became more outgoing and more confident. Over time I felt comfortable not getting dressed up or wearing makeup all the time around him, and yet he would still tell me how beautiful I was, even telling me how he liked my natural beauty better. He never made me feel self-conscious, only complemented me every time, it was his persistence and kind words that encouraged me and made me believe that I was beautiful inside and out. He taught me that being a woman was not only what I looked like, but what was on the inside as well. I ended up marrying him almost 8 years later and he is just as supportive. He is not threatened by my womanhood or intelligence; he encourages me and supports me in all that I do.
While I have had much love in my girlhood I also had many tragedies. I have gone to more funerals in my life than weddings. Both of my grandparents died before I was 12. I have head many cousins killed in car accidents. When I was in 9th grade my cousin was driving with his best friend on a two lane road that was notorious for being dangerous. As typical teenagers do being stupid he illegally passed a semi and pulled in front of it too closely clipping the front of the jeep. Both him and his friend where thrown out. His friend was killed instantly, and he was in ICU for months. We had originally been told my cousin was the one who was killed and I remember just screaming and crying uncontrollably in disbelief. It was hard for me to read Rebecca’s story “Big Shoes”. Recently, a girl who I had grown up with was killed in a car accident, like Sarah, there was speculation that she had not worn her seatbelt. Everybody would always say that she was so full of life and LOVED to dance. She end by saying “Teach those angels how to dance, will you?(130)” and it reminded me of my friend and what people said about her being up in heaven dancing with the angels.
I could relate to Jasmine’s story “Decent Guy on the Planet”. When I was 14 I had my first love. But, before he was my love he was one of my best friends. Like Jake, David was nice to everyone and fun to be around. He was cute and two years older. I noticed how I started paying more attention to my appearance. I always dressed nice, had my hair and makeup done when I was around him. I always had to look perfect. High school is a treacherous time when you don’t feel beautiful and are insecure, but my boyfriend helped me be secure. He would always tell me I was beautiful even when I did not feel this way. I truly became a different person; I became more outgoing and more confident. Over time I felt comfortable not getting dressed up or wearing makeup all the time around him, and yet he would still tell me how beautiful I was, even telling me how he liked my natural beauty better. He never made me feel self-conscious, only complemented me every time, it was his persistence and kind words that encouraged me and made me believe that I was beautiful inside and out. He taught me that being a woman was not only what I looked like, but what was on the inside as well. I ended up marrying him almost 8 years later and he is just as supportive. He is not threatened by my womanhood or intelligence; he encourages me and supports me in all that I do.
While I have had much love in my girlhood I also had many tragedies. I have gone to more funerals in my life than weddings. Both of my grandparents died before I was 12. I have head many cousins killed in car accidents. When I was in 9th grade my cousin was driving with his best friend on a two lane road that was notorious for being dangerous. As typical teenagers do being stupid he illegally passed a semi and pulled in front of it too closely clipping the front of the jeep. Both him and his friend where thrown out. His friend was killed instantly, and he was in ICU for months. We had originally been told my cousin was the one who was killed and I remember just screaming and crying uncontrollably in disbelief. It was hard for me to read Rebecca’s story “Big Shoes”. Recently, a girl who I had grown up with was killed in a car accident, like Sarah, there was speculation that she had not worn her seatbelt. Everybody would always say that she was so full of life and LOVED to dance. She end by saying “Teach those angels how to dance, will you?(130)” and it reminded me of my friend and what people said about her being up in heaven dancing with the angels.
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