Friday, March 7, 2008

A Tangent on Self Worth

I feel like I need to say some more words on self worth, partly because it is an ongoing battle that I personally am fighting, and partly because of a recent event that took place. I teach classical ballet at my old studio where I grew up dancing and I teach the beginner and intermediate pointe classes. (think nutcracker suite) In my intermediate class, in the dance we are preparing, I have the girls paired up, one to be a support while the other does a turn into a sort of "fall". I'd like you to keep in mind the age range in the intermediates is 12-17. Most of them are 13-14. So we are practicing and I assign the partners according to where they stand in the formation. Ive got one girl that publicly said that she couldn't be the one turning cuz she was to big and would crush her partner.



Let me tell you about this girl: she is 14 years old about 5'4 and no body fat on her whatsoever. Now I didn't thin-out until late high school, but her insecurity hit me like a ton of bricks. It was like I was looking at myself for a split second. Half of me wanted to sympathize with her, but the other (mature) half who decided she needed hips, looked at it like "That is so sad." But I feel like I cant do or say anything to make a difference because I am still struggling with it myself.


So what to do?? I figured that the only thing I can do is to stay out of it unless she comes directly to me about it. I remember being her age and at that point no matter what anyone said it went in one ear and out the other. Since going back to church and studying the scriptures, I am slowly getting better. Now I am slowly coming to realize that God made me in His image, therefore I am perfect in His eyes, so to not be happy with what He gave me is to disrespect Him in a way. Right now my mind knows this principle, but it is slow going getting to my heart. I'm working on it, and it is slowly getting better. I still would sometimes like to change things esthetically.

It is just irritating that I cant get over it, mostly because I feel like a hypocrite trying to help this girl who thinks she's fat when she isn't, but here I am still sort of wanting implants because I'm not happy about the top half of me sometimes. As much as I want to help her, I keep telling myself that she is only 14 and this is a normal stage of life for her. I suppose if anyone reads this, any ideas???

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