In our society, we tend to narrow down our idea of beauty, putting people into categories of good looking and ugly. It is important to teach our children that beauty comes in all shapes and sizes and that one does not need to look like they just emerged from a magazine photoshoot to look beautiful. In a now-viral video out of Texas, a hairdresser cheers up a little girl who thought that she looked ugly.
Shabria is a stylist at a salon in Houston, Texas who also goes by the name Lil Wave Daddy. Shabria was cutting the hair of a four-year-old girl named Ariyonna on her IGTV account when the little one turned to the mirror and said that she was ugly. Shabria was heartbroken by Ariyonna’s statement but knew that she had to do everything in her power to make sure that little Ariyonna knew that she was beautiful, reports The Daily Mail.
Turning Ariyonna around, Shabria told her that she was beautiful, taking particular notice of the little girl’s cute dimples. She also praised Ariyonna’s skin and encouraged her to go to school the next day and tell everyone that, after her appointment at the salon, she was the prettiest girl in class. Continuing to comfort Ariyonna as the little girl cried, Shabria told her that she could do anything with her life, whether she wanted to be an entrepreneur, lawyer, or doctor, every door was open to the little girl.
As Ariyonna wiped the tears from her face, Shabria asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. Ariyonna responded that she wanted to be a teacher. Shabria further inquired if her teacher was ever mean to her. When Ariyonna responded in the affirmative, Shabria reminded her that she has the opportunity to be better and nicer than her current teacher. After many more words of kindness and reassurance, Shabria told Ariyonna to never think about being ugly again. As a little kid, Ariyonna’s only concern should be to be happy.
Shabria shared her talk with Ariyonna on her Instagram page, where it became a viral hit. In her message attached to the post, Shabria encouraged everyone to do things that would be uplifting for their children. Adding that Ariyonna comes from a great home and family, Shabria feels that kids pick up on this type of negativity at school.
Shabria’s video has thus far been watched nearly 400,000 times and has attracted the attention of many celebrities. Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis commented that the video shows that even after so much progress, it is still difficult for African American people to combat the feeling that they are less than others, according to The Daily Mail. Addressing Ariyonna directly, Davis said that she was beautiful and worthy of a special place in the world. Jada Smith added that the post made her cry and applauded Shabria for showing Ariyonna so much love.
Meanwhile, Matthew Cherry, director of the Academy Awarding-winning animated short film Hair Love, encouraged his followers to make drawings of Shabria and Ariyonna and post them to Twitter, reports The Grio. Cherry’s account has since been inundated with cute drawings of Shabria and Ariyonna, with all making sure to highlight Ariyonna’s dimples.
All in all, Shabria’s words and the positive impact that they have had on the world show that people everywhere are willing to embrace the idea that there is no one set definition of beauty. As we go about our lives, it is important to show others that beauty comes not from our outward appearance, but by how much good we do in the world.
What do you think of Shabria’s comments? How do you think we should teach children about different perspectives on beauty?
