You Are Beautiful

One day, I was in a public bathroom at Life Alice in Salem, and there was a little sticker in the corner of the mirror that said “You are beautiful”.

I loved it!

I went home, found the website, and ordered hundreds of my own to pass out, kind of a guerilla “share the light, spread the beauty” mission. I put them on every mirror in our house.

I don’t usually feel beautiful. Especially now, a 50-year-old cookie-loving single mom. So, this morning, I put on my Dad’s sweatshirt so I could feel his arms around me. Sometimes I need my Dad’s energy, his humor, generosity, integrity, wisdom, and deep eternal love for me, to remind me there are really good people out there. I put on his faded blue sweatshirt and started to write, and remembered that Henry, my 7th grader, had asked me to order him the stickers. A girl in his class told him that she loved to come to our home, because she felt so happy when she saw those stickers, and he wanted a stack of his own to pass out.He has watched me pass them out for years, to crabby cashiers, the cranky lady at the post office, and anyone I see throughout the day who looks like they need a reminder. I don’t say anything. I just smile and silently hand them the sticker and disappear.

I ordered one large sticker to put on the back of my car because I live in New England, home of some pretty serious road rage. When I first moved here, I was actually chased down by a raging lady. I had unknowingly driven into the parking lot of a yacht club and she blocked me from leaving the lot, got out of her car, and proceeded to scream at me, calling me a “blonde bimbo who didn’t know how to drive.” Seriously? With my terrified 6-year-old son in the back seat. I didn’t know what to do so I just laughed and called the police. I told them there was an unhinged lady on the rampage with anger management issues. I soon came to find out there are a lot of people in New England with anger management issues. I’ve driven for a lot of years all over the world– 15 years of traffic in LA, the Pyrenees in Spain, all over France, Norway, Mexico, New Orleans, NYC, and I’ve road tripped criss-crossing the United States many times…. and never ever seen road rage like they have in New England. I attribute it to the long brutal winters that make people short tempered and grouchy. In any case, I put a “You Are Beautiful” sticker on my car to remind people of who they are underneath that anger and brittle exterior.

While taking some photos around my house of my stickers, I realized that another thing that spreads joy and light is my phone case! I bought it because I like pink furry bunnies, but the happy side effect is that every time I pull it out, people are delighted. I was in a gala meeting the other day with a bunch of big bank CEO’s and I pulled my phone out to show them a photo, and when I looked up, they were all laughing. I said, “What?” And one said, “We like your phone case.” I never remember, but it is a source of amusement for people who see it, and I love making people laugh, so it’s a win-win.

One of my bathroom mirrors, and no I don’t feel beautiful. I am wearing my Dad’s sweatshirt so I can feel his arms around me. And yes, my phone case is pink furry bunny ears.

The thing with sharing the light is that when you give positivity away, it triples inside you.

Like beauty.

Like love.

Try it and you’ll see what I mean.

Share the light! YES!

(Link to the stickers here.)

Picture of Marci Darling

Marci Darling

I lie here on my pink puffy bed in my pink silky pajamas, or pink flannel depending on my mood (the only thing you can bank on is that there will be chocolate smeared somewhere on my attire), with my pink feathered pen, writing my most delicious daydreams. Funny? Sometimes. Scandalous? Hopefully. Inspiring? Perhaps. Full of love? Always. Welcome to my World.

One Response

  1. I remember unknowingly driving behind you one rte 62, waiting to get onto Rte 128 — an intersection that is the source of much road rage. I saw your “you are beautiful” sticker on the back of your car, and started smiling. Then I saw your bright pink furry pom poms hanging from your rear view mirror. I had not actually seen or talked to you in at least a year, but there I was, right behind you. And, without even seeing your face, I knew exactly who was driving that car. And you lifted my spirits. You ARE beautiful. You are beautiful inside and out. You are one of the most truly beautiful people I know. Don’t you ever forget it.

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