Shared from FBWC Facebook page Carissa Woodwyk December 6 at 7:30 PM  · 

I still remember, in 1st grade, the day I stood in front of a mirror, raised my fingers to my face, and tried to make my eyes “rounder,” bigger, more “American” looking.I couldn’t. but, I kept trying. later with eye muscles and makeup and colors and liner and lashes. still, they were what they were. and still, I always wished they weren’t what they were. but the voices and pictures and people that and who defined what was beautiful rang so loudly in my ears, were consistently shoved in front of my eyes. no one told me my eyes were good. and I learned to tell myself the same. ahhh! I’ve come a long, long way to let my eyes be true, be real, be Korean. it can still feel like a battle. I can still hear the chant:DON’T. BE. YOU.I saw this book be promoted today by The Conscious Kid
and I thought: if only I had this when I was little when I despised my own eyes. I think it would’ve helped. I KNOW it would’ve helped. cuz to see me – to see these eyes, to see and hear and know they were good and normal and natural – would’ve done something to my head and heart. and maybe then, my head and heart would’ve loved my eyes, my own body. huh. just think about that. think about actually loving the way we were made. wouldn’t that be a radical shift? in us? between us?

Parents – don’t tell your kids their eyes are good or perfect or beautiful when they tell you they don’t like their eyes. people did that ALL the time when I was young and even still now that I’m old when I say that my eyes have been and are insecurity for me. I know it’s your truth, but it’s also dismissive. this only tells your child not to feel the way she/he feels. (#NotHelpful)

I would suggest that before you dish out the truth, that you pour out empathy. help them feel understood. let them know that it’s hard to feel different, that it’s hard to see pictures of so many people who don’t look like they do, that it must feel lonely not having anyone in their family (or community or school, etc.) who looks like them. first, comfort. then, truth…when it’s time.so I’m curious: what’s YOUR “uncomfortable truth”? what part of you wasn’t told that it was made to grace this world? oh, and Asian friends – our eyes are good. they always have been – obvi. the world just didn’t tell us or anyone else.#EyesThatKissInTheCorners