My cousin shared this video on Facebook last week and it just hit home on so many levels.

I totally love the confidence this girl has. She watches others and does her best, not afraid to try new things. Nor does she care what others seem to think.

I  was that little brown girl with big glasses.

Big glasses, big teeth, poofy curly hair, and brown skin, darker than my siblings. That’s me.

I don’t remember being too self conscious about any of it, except for my teeth. There are several school pictures where I did a closed mouth smile so my teeth wouldn’t show. Okay, and I also tried to tame my locks by pulling it back into as tight of a ponytail as I could.

I know I got teased at school. But, you know what? I don’t really remember it.

That’s me front and center. The others are left to right: Vanessa, my mom holding Marcus (a foster baby), my dad holding Jonathan, Pere.

You know what I do remember? Singing songs with my family and friends.

Playing a hand game with Vanessa

Dancing to music without a care in the world. Playing dodgeball, kickball and basketball.

Pere, Vanessa, me, Jonathan

Riding bikes at the park. And feeling loved. So very, very loved for being me.

For that I am grateful.

I eventually got contacts.

And braces to close that gap in my front teeth.

But you know what? Because of the amazing confidence instilled in me by my parents I didn’t think that much differently about myself when the big glasses were gone. Throughout all my childhood I was encouraged to follow my interests: piano, reading, dancing, basketball. I also excelled in academics.

We were poor. Being the oldest when your dad is going through medical school, then residency, gives you a different upbringing material-wise than your youngest sibling. But no matter what the financial situation we were all expected to find our talents and develop them so we could use them to serve others.

That’s not to say I didn’t have times where I felt bad about myself. We all do that don’t we? Compare ourselves to others and for whatever reason find ourselves lacking. There were some bad days. But the good days, they so outnumbered the bad!

Here’s to all little girls – white, brown, red, or yellow – with big glasses, big teeth and poofy hair!

“Do not let uncertainty about how others seem to feel about you this week get in the way of how God has always felt about you.” -Neal A. Maxwell