"Daddy, Am I beautiful?" asked a little girl covered in dirt.

"Of course honey. You are most beautiful little girl in the world" replied her dad with so much love in his eyes.


Annie was only eleven and all she had in her life was her father. Her mother left when Annie was only eight months old. Annie was your average little girl. Brown silky hair, with emerald shiny green eyes that sparkled when light would hit them but it was never recognized. For most of her life, everyone told her she was not beautiful even her mother believed she was a disgrace. The only individual who cared to much about her to say she was not beautiful, her father.


Lately though, Annie's dad began to work late hours so Annie had to rely on herself to do her homework and make her own dinner. Her dad began to never show up at house for three day and even missed Annie's twelve birthday. Annie could not find anyone who was going through the same thing she was. All she really was seeking for was to have her father the center of her life again.


One night, her dad came home tired and a little out of it. He began to freak out.


"ANNIE!!! What is this mess of a house? Do you not know how to clean?" he screamed into her face.

"Dad you are scaring me. Pleases stop yelling. Daddy, Am I beautiful?" Annie pleaded to try and calm her dad.

"You are worthless. Why would I ever think you as beautiful?"


That day Annie's life shattered. Not in a million years did Annie believe her dad would be so cruel. He apologized to her on several accounts but she could not except the fact that her dad, her only family, would call her worthless. As she grew up, when teachers and peers especially boys would call her beautiful, all she could say is thanks and walk away crying. She made herself believe that there was not an ounce of beauty left in her


Finally Annie was on her own in the little town of Cherry Tree, Pennsylvania. She did not have a full conversation with her father for 6 years. Annie was depressed to the point where she could not even have enough energy to walk around in the wistful air of Pennsylvania.


It was a normal day of just watching television, wrapped in a cozy blanket, next to a warm fireplace when Annie turned the channel to a music video that showed a little girl crying because kids were picking on her and calling her ugly. Annie just began to ball; she could not believe how stupid she has been to think she was the only one who has ever been called ugly. The video hit a spot in her heart with such force that she could hardly breath. She jumped up from the couch and walked into her bathroom. She looked at the mirror seeing the reflection of crying face and couldn't believe how beautiful she really was and how she relied on her father to tell her so.

Sometimes we are our biggest critics and all we need to do is step back and really look into a mirror and see the inner beauty that shines through us everyday. We are beautiful today!