I wish we’d stop teaching girls at a young age that “skinny” means beautiful and that “smaller” is the goal.

There’s a sneaky lie wrapped up “small” that is telling girls they need to be less to be more. And at its most wicked, “small” turns disappearing into an achievement. These lies don’t just affect a girl’s body, but her mind and her voice and her entire belief about who she is.

I wish we’d teach girls that, with their voices and their bodies, it’s okay to take up space. That they were made to do absolutely anything but disappear.