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Natural beauty is used but not practiced often. Today there are many clever modern ways to look different.  People in general but women in particular are never satisfied with what they have when it comes to their looks. White women are busy tanning to get some color into their skin, while Black women whiten their skin to look lighter. Women with straight hair spend time and money to curl their hair while women with curly hair spend even more time and money to straighten their hair permanently or to sew a weave to have long cascading hair. And then there are more extremes like surgery where women (even men) try to straighten their nose, modify their body shapes, and so on. And with today’s modern technology all this can be done almost to perfection where people who have undergone these changes can claim to be ‘natural’ beauties.

This is not to condemn or judge someone who opts to alter her/his look, but too much emphasis is given today on how the perfect Other looks like instead of focusing on our own natural beauty. And what is natural beauty? It is the total acceptance of oneself and truly loving one’s reflection in the mirror. It is the ability to accept that if you are born with curly hair that will never cascade down your back, and with dark skin, then it is not a curse but a blessing. Not a disadvantage but an asset. Instead of undergoing pain, a lot of money and needless self hatred, we could spare all this with taking a first step of accepting ourselves for who we are, and accepting that it is our diversity that makes human race beautiful, it is your uniqueness that makes you special.  I hope that all women, in particular, my black sisters, will eventually come to recognize their beauty and accept their uniqueness.

Regards
Flaviana Matata