Inside and Out

If you don’t like me in my sweats, I’m not going to wear a dress for you

If you don’t think I’m beautiful without makeup, I’m not going to wear any for you

If you don’t adore me on my bad hair days, I’m not going to try harder for you

If you don’t appreciate me in my glasses, I’m not going to wear contacts for you

If you don’t admire me at 300 pounds, I’m not going to try to be 150 pounds for you

If you don’t love me at my worst, I’m not going to be my “best” for you

Because I deserve the guy who will ask me to change out of my dress and put on some sweats

I deserve a guy who will tell me that makeup is a waste of money, a face as beautiful as mine doesn’t need it

I deserve a guy who doesn’t care if my hair is frizzy or curly, shoved in a hat or perfectly styled and down to my waist

I deserve a guy who doesn’t notice whether I have four eyes or two

I deserve a guy who can love every pound of me

I deserve the guy who can look past all that and see me for all I am

I deserve the guy who thinks I’m beautiful at my worst and best

Because my beauty isn’t written across my face

I don’t have a perfectly proportioned face

I don’t have flawless skin

I don’t have huge, clueless eyes

I don’t have an ideal nose

I don’t have sparkling white teeth

I don’t have gorgeous breasts

I don’t have a flat stomach or a tiny little waist

I don’t have thin thighs

I don’t have the perfect face or body

But I do have my inside

I have my kindness and caring

I have my quirky sense of humor

I have my dedication and passion

I have my intelligence

I have my love

                        My love for writing

                        My love for reading

                        My love for helping others

                        My love for leadership

                        My love for education

                        My love for children

                        My love for my family

                        My love for life

                        And hopefully, someday, my love for my husband

            I have all of this, and someday, I will meet the man who will see all of that

I will meet the man who can look past my worst self and see the me that he loves

And for him, I will

            Put away the sweats and put on a pretty dress

            Buy some makeup and figure out how to use it

            Make my hair look good, no matter what kind of day it wants to have

            Pop my contacts in

            Work out and watch what I eat, so I can live a long, happy life with him

            And walk down the aisle

On the day I marry the man who sees every inch of my beautiful self, I will read this to him and everyone I love

I will tell the world that this is the man for whom I’m willing to be my best

The man who loves me inside and out