Writer: Sarah Mandor
Editor: Doaa Saady
As a person who wasn’t fit in the ideal shape for a kid or a teenager, watching a series like ‘لازم أعيش’ was definitely so touching!
In the series, the female lead faced struggles with her shape just because she was different from the ‘idealistic’ shape known among us. She struggled with vitiligo and lived her life hiding behind makeup because as we all know, not everyone around us is aware of differences, and she lacked awareness that “people who mock your appearance are people who lack maturity and respect”.
This series takes me to places; this phase is the main reason I want to shift my whole career to deal with kids and teach them self love and acceptance, teach them respecting their differences and those of others.
If you are a parent reading this, there are two main tracks you SHOULD work on with your kids.
Firstly, acceptance.
To understand that there is nothing wrong to be different; looks never really matter to whoever understands life.
Being defined based on your look is a shallow way of living. None of us fit the model people see as “perfect”.
People struggle, pay tons of money, try all the products and make surgeries to fit in, when in fact they are beautiful the way they are, they are ‘themselves’.
As a parent, it’s your duty to look confident in front of them. Don’t try to ‘hide’ who you are. Don’t talk about how bad you feel towards any of your features and teach them to embrace theirs.
Secondly, respecting differences.
Humans are different; it’s okay to deal with others who aren’t the same as us. NEVER mock anyone in front of them. You are their role models; teach them by being their idol in respecting. Teach them the difference between sympathy and respect.
To respect a person means not to make them feel they are different but to act normally around them. Don’t compliment them ‘too’ much and make it feel awkward.
Just be NORMAL.
If you are a teenager or an adult struggling with self acceptance or feeling less because you feel you don’t fit in,
Ask yourself those questions:
Who created the most fit ideal shape?
If this was the idealistic shape, then why Allah hadn’t create us all in this shape?
Does my shape affect my mentality? Am I unkind? Did my shape stop me from being merciful?
Will Allah look at me for my shape or will he look at me for my actions?
When had the beauty of the most beautiful human on earth lasted?
You are too much more than just a shape, that was never your choice.
“إِنَّ اللهَ عَزَّ وَجَلَّ لَا يَنْظُرُ إِلَى صُوَرِكُمْ وَأَمْوَالِكُمْ، وَلَكِنْ يَنْظُرُ إِلَى قُلُوبِكُمْ وَأَعْمَالِكُمْ”
