I Am Beautiful: A Celebration of Women in Their Own Words

113 Pages·2006·1.06 MB·English

by  Woody Winfree

I
AM
Beautiful
A Celebration Of Women
in their Own Words
Edited byWoodyWinfree & Dana Carpenter
Copyright©2006byWoodyWinfreeandDanaCarpenter
Coverandinternaldesign©2006bySourcebooks,Inc.
Coverphoto©MaryA.Eliot
SourcebooksandthecolophonareregisteredtrademarksofSourcebooks,Inc.
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthisbookmaybereproducedinanyformorbyanyelectronicor
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quotationsembodiedincriticalarticlesorreviews—withoutpermissioninwritingfromits
publisher,Sourcebooks,Inc.
PublishedbySourcebooks,Inc.
P.O.Box4410,Naperville,Illinois60567–4410
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Originallypublishedin1996byRoseCommunications
LibraryofCongressCataloging-in-PublicationData
Iambeautiful:acelebrationofwomen/[editedby]WoodyWinfreeandDanaCarpenter.
p.cm.
Originallypublished:Bridgeport,Conn.:RoseCommunications,c1996.
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN1-4022-0671-2(alk.paper)
1. Femininebeauty(Aesthetics)2. Women—Psychology.3. Women—Attitudes.4. Self-esteemin
women.5. Self-actualization(Psychology)6. Self-realizationinwomen. I.Winfree,Woody.II.
Carpenter,Dana.
HQ1219.I22006
305.42—dc22
2005021830
PrintedandboundinChina.
LEO10987654321
Thisworkislovinglydedicatedtothosewhoinspiredus.
Tomydaughters,LaylaandRomy,
maytheyalwaysknowtheirbeauty.
—WoodyWinfree
Tothememoryofmymother,DorothyDean,
andthefutureofmydaughter,KalieDean.
—DanaCarpenter

Acknowledgments
Toacknowledgethemanypeoplewhohavebeentravelersonthejourney,
supportiveoftheprocess,andinstrumentaltomakingthisbookareality
wouldtakeavolumeuntoitselftolist.Wetrustthateachofyouknows
whoyouare,andhowmuchyourcontributionswere,are,andforever
willbeappreciatedandhonored.We,however,specificallywouldliketo
thankDebWerksman,notonlyforhervision,butforheropenmindand
openheart,whichwereinequalpartfundamentaltobringingthisbook
intothelightofday.
Wealsogivelovingthankstoourhusbands,RussellandRick,fortheir
tirelesssupport,nottomentionthenecessarysenseofhumor.Weare
gratefultobelivingourliveswithpartnerswhoshareourbeliefsand
dreams.

Introduction
Aboveallelse,thisbookwasbornoutoftheamazingfriendshipwe
shareandourdesiretoillustrateforourdaughtersthatallwomencanbe
embracedasbeautiful,whole,andworthyhumanbeings.
Believingthatawoman’ssenseofself-worthisinextricablylinkedtoher
senseofbeauty,andthattheimagesofbeautysurroundingusarenarrow
andoftendistorted,wewantedtoaffectchange.Asmothersguidingour
ownyoungdaughtersinaculturethatputstoomuchemphasisonlooks,
webecamecommittedtoexpandingthedefinitionofbeauty.
Todothis,weknewwehadtogettheperspectivesofasmanywomenas
possible.Wewenttoreal,everydaywomenlikeourselves.“Telluswhy
youarebeautiful,”werequested.Weplacedadsinnationalmagazines
askingforphotosandessays,createdandmailedcountlessbrochures,
andspoketointerestedreporters.Thenwewaited.Wehadnoideawhat
wewouldhearback,ifanythingatall.
Slowly,responsesstartedcominginfromwomenacrossthecountry.In
total,wereceivedclosetofivehundredsubmissions.Thewomenfeatured
inthisbook,alongwiththemanyotherswhoreplied,exposedtheir
hearts,minds,andsoulsintheirremarkablytrustingandgenerousanswers
tooursimple,yetdifficultquestion.Allofthestoriesspoketosomepart
ofus;manyexposedustonewideas;andothersoftenactedasmirrors.
Wefoundourselveswithabodyofworkfarbeyondwhatwehad
imagined.Andintheprocess,wereceivedanincrediblegift:the
realizationthatwecan,indeed,changeourculture.Andwebeginby
changingourselves,bychangingourpersonalperspectiveaboutwhat
makesusbeautiful.Agreatlyexpandedandmoreinclusivedefinitionof
beautybeginswithindividualself-acceptance.
Wetrustthatthisbookwillencouragewomenofallagestonametheir
own,uniquebeauty,andletitradiateforalltoexperience.Insodoing,
wewillbuildaworldinwhicheverywomancanproudlysay,“Iam
beautiful.”
—WoodyWinfreeandDanaCarpenter
I
AM
Beautiful