A Message

I've always been a Dawn French fan, her smile is infectious and she is just so witty and gorgeous.  I downloaded her book Dear Fatty, onto my Ipod, which is an unusual thing for me to do as I literally inhale books, and glide speedily from one word to the next, often slipping over a few.  But with an audio book you actually listen as someone carefully reads out every single word to you.  It actually doesn't work for me, but I tried to perservere with this book.  The woman reading the audiobook is a dear friend of Dawn's and has got the way she speaks perfected to a tee.  In fact one day, while on a long run, I was listening to a particularly poignant part and started sobbing, not quiet tears sliding down cheeks kind of sobbing, but big intakes of breath kind of sobbing.  It certainly didn't help my running that day.
And just because I like you, I am going to diligently type out word for word, the piece that got me.  (I brought the book because I loved it so much).
This is just such a beautiful message for a parent to pass onto a child.  It just nailed it for me.  I plan on sharing this sentiment with my beautiful boys.

To give some perspective, Dawn is an early teen, starting to experience the first bouts of chubbiness and about to head out to a huge hormone charged party, in tight purple hotpants.  This is a chat her dad had with her....

Never forget what a treasure you are, and if your faith in that ever wobbles, have a look in the mirror and have confidence in what you see.  You are a rare thing, an uncommon beauty, a dazzling exquisite, splendid young woman.  Look!  You must know it's true, you're a corker.  How lucky any boy would be to have you on his arm.  They should fight tournaments to win your affection, you utterly deserve it and, more than that, you deserve the very best.  Don't think for one second you should settle for other people's rejects.  You are the princess, you are the prize, so be choosy and take your time.  You decide how, when and where, not them.  They will wait.  Of course they will, who wouldn't wait for someone so priceless?  There is no one better.  Know this...if anything happened to you, our lives would fall apart, we would be devastated and this family would never be happy again.  So you must take care of yourself, you must guard against danger.  When you are out of this house it is up to you to protect yourself, your reputation and your dignity.  We love you and we need you.


What a special message for our children.  What a special message for ourselves.
And if you happen to be popping past my blog Dawn, I hope you don't mind me borrowing your Dad's lovely words.  Thank you.