Growing up as a teenager in the early 2000s... I was consistently bombarded with the narrative that in order to look attractive, I had to fit a certain construct of beauty. A certain height, a certain weight, a certain colour, a certain bra size...

Where do we get these ideas from? Are we questioning our sources enough? And more prudently, CAN we even question our sources at that age?

I feel fortunate to have been surrounded by strong female figures in my life (friends and family) who have constantly co-questioned these narratives with me and always encourage healthy dialogue around these ideas. I am STILL doing a lot of active unlearning to unpack certain notions about my body that seeped in and cemented themselves anyway.

This makes me think about people (especially kids) who may not have had or won't have the privilege of a sounding board and multiple perspectives in order to help them make sense of all the complexities of teenage living.