By Arianna Freelen 
Once upon a time, there lived a mama and her three girls. The three girls loved to play dress up.
They had a room full of jewelry and crowns, makeup and nail polish, ribbons and dresses. Everything sparkled.
One morning, the girl with the big blue eyes put on jewelry and a crown. She curtsied and waved, danced and swayed. For she was a princess for the day.
And when she was done, she found Mama. As Mama took off her jewels and her crown, she asked, “Am I still beautiful?”
Mama replied, “Darling, you wore pretty things today, but you are always beautiful. For beauty isn’t something you put on, beauty is an overflow of your heart. You are beautiful, my daughter, simply because of who you are.”
That afternoon, the girl with the sweet little grin decided she wanted to sparkle and shine. So, she put on glitter and lipstick, blush and nail polish. Singing at the top of her lungs and packing her bags for the sunset coast. For she was a star for the day.
When she sang her final song, she found Mama. As Mama wiped her face clean and kissed her sweet little lips, she asked, “Am I still beautiful?”
Mama replied, “Darling, you wore pretty colors and sparkles today, but you are always beautiful. For beauty isn’t something you put on, beauty is an overflow of your heart. You are beautiful, my daughter, simply because of who you are.”
Just before dinner, the girl with the bouncy curls decided she’d dress for the occasion of supper. So she went and put on her big, poofy princess dress. She glided toward her chair, gloves over her fingers, a ribbon around her curls. For she was a duchess for the day.
After she excused herself from the table, she found Mama. As Mama put on her soft jammies and unwrapped the ribbon in her hair, she asked, “Am I still beautiful?”
Mama replied, “Darling, you wore a pretty dress and ribbon today, but you are always beautiful. For beauty isn’t something you put on, beauty is an overflow of your heart. You are beautiful, my daughter, simply because of who you are.”
That evening, just before bed, the girls walked in wearing their softest jammies, not a single sparkle in sight. They found Mama, wiping the makeup from her eyes. Tired from the work of the day.
She looked in the mirror at her wrinkles and dark circles, the mess of hair on her neck and her ill-fitting clothes. And she sighed.
Then she heard a small voice speak out, “Mama, you are beautiful!”
She smiled and replied, “My darling girls, my heart overflows.”
This article originally appeared on Choosing Freelen
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