When I was younger, I was often reminded by society of how a girl “should be.” People expected me to behave a certain way, dress a certain way, and live according to their standards. At first, I resisted. But slowly, I started to accept the reality — perhaps if I followed their rules, they would accept me.
I threw myself into my studies and ignored everything else. Time passed, and I completed my education with distinction. My university results came out — I was one of the very few who had topped in a subject no one had ever topped before.
Then came marriage. The man I married was the same one who had topped the subject with me, the one people used to admire. Life was beautiful. Soon, we were blessed with a daughter — a daughter so perfect, so innocent, that she seemed like a living dream.
Society’s Eyes
But society never sleeps. I began to notice the way people stared at her. At first, I ignored it — but as she grew, those looks became harder to ignore. When she walked past, people turned their heads, whispering.
I remembered my own childhood — the judgments, the pressure, the way I was told what was “acceptable” and what wasn’t. I felt a fire ignite inside me.
“No,” I thought.
“My daughter will not live the life I lived. She will not be crushed under society’s standards.”
Breaking the Chains
I started teaching my daughter to be proud of herself. I taught her that clothes are not what define her, that she has a right to walk with her head held high, no matter who is watching.
I remembered how I was once forced to wear clothes I didn’t like — how my favorite dress was cut short to please others. I remembered the constant comparisons to other girls, the taunts, the shame.
But my daughter — I wanted her to be different. I wanted her to never feel small, never feel less, never feel that she had to change to please the world.
University Days and Harsh Realities
In university, I had seen so many girls trying to fit into molds — dyeing their hair, wearing the latest clothes, going to parties just to be accepted. Some even burned the midnight oil to stay thin, applying layer after layer of makeup to look “beautiful.”
I had done some of those things too — until one night, with tears in my eyes, I asked myself:
“Why must I suffer just to be noticed?”
That was the day I stopped living for others and started living for myself.
True Love and Acceptance
Eventually, love found me. The man who truly loved me never asked me to change, never judged me for not fitting into the world’s idea of “perfect.” He loved me for who I was. And that is the man I married — the man who became the father of my daughter.
The Lesson
Today, when I look at my daughter, I pray that she never bows to the weight of the world’s expectations. I want her to know that dignity and self-respect are more valuable than fitting in.
Respectful daughters become the pride of their parents,
and daughters who live with dignity add honor to the entire household.
Life’s true secret is this: your worth is not measured by how many people approve of you, but by how much you respect yourself.
