The Woman on p. 194

Have you seen her? She actually looks like my friend Susie. Only Susie isn't always sitting around in the nude...well not ALWAYS..

Here she is: 

Here is the backstory: http://www.glamour.com/health-fitness/blogs/vitamin-g/2009/08/on-the-cl-the-picture-you-cant.html

This picture and the fervor that goes along with it have really caused me to open my eyes to all the images that bombard us. Just the mere fact that this beautiful lady was on page 194 and not the cover is enraging! We're so used to seeing photo-shopped mini-humans that anyone with even an ounce of imperfection can't be on the cover of a national magazine!

It makes me glad I'm not raising a girl. But then again, what do these images do to young boys? Will dylan think that the only thing beautiful about a woman is tan skin, fake boobs, fake hair, zero body fat and acrylic nails? How will he know that laugh lines are warm or freckles are charming? That someone's bad hairday can make you giggle or that "summer knees" mean you had a wonderful vacation at the lake?  I'd hate for him to think that people who are happy don't smile with their eyes (because of botox) or that the older a woman becomes, the tighter her face gets pulled back.

Every once in a while it's a good idea to remind ourselves ( and especially our children) that imperfection is beautiful.