Charlotte W., Miami Valley School
Picture Day Confidence
All of my friends are supportive of me and empower me all the time. However, there is one person in particular who makes so much of an effort to make me feel amazing about myself and my abilities. My friend Kate is the kind of person who would give you the shirt off of her back if you needed it. She is truly an amazing friend.
On one particular school picture day, I felt as if the world had decided to pick me up and drop me in the mud. My whole family had gotten into an argument that morning and I rode the whole way to school crying in the back seat. I hadn’t had enough time to pick out appropriate clothes for school, so I was wearing a tank top and sweatpants. My knotted hair was tied up in a messy bun, and I wasn’t wearing any makeup. When I got to school, I immediately went to my Kate and hugged her. She didn’t ask me what had happened, because she knew that I would cry again. She told me to wait in the bathroom while she told our teacher that we would be late for class. Kate joined me in the bathroom with a brush and an extra change of clothes she had in case of emergencies. I washed my face, brushed my hair, and got dressed as she observed. She put my hair in a braid and told me that I was beautiful no matter what I was wearing, what my hair looked like, or how much makeup I had on.
She continued to compliment me any time we got to talk during the day, and it really helped my confidence. She would say things like, ¨You look amazing as always!¨, ¨You are absolutely stunning!¨, and ¨Wow, that question was so hard. You must be a genius if you solved it!¨ By the time it was my turn to have my picture taken, I was overflowing with the confidence that my best friend had given me. Right before I walked up for my picture, she came up to me again. ̈ ̈Show them pearly whites, girl ̈ she said. I laughed and nodded before making my way over to the camera. I wore my best smile and felt great.
Kate continues to give me confidence every day and I hope that she knows that she has given me enough self love to last a lifetime. To give confidence to yourself, become your own Kate. Tell yourself how beautiful or handsome you are and don’t forget it.
