Matthew Barrett, a former City of Atlanta Police Officer and father of 2 daughters, has been a supporter of Daughters of Change™ from the beginning. When he offered to contribute to our blog, I was both thrilled and intrigued.
A question in my mind since beginning Daughters of Change has been -“How am I going to engage men?” – Thankfully, men like Matt engage themselves.
I’m happy to introduce you all to Matt, followed by a piece he wrote about watching his daughter struggle with the image issues that plague so many young girls in our society. We need more fathers like Matt, who are both aware and perceptive enough to see and understand this struggle and address it in a loving and supportive manner.
Who Matt is, in his own words:
I have 2 daughters in college. For years, I have repeated this mantra to them about self worth and respect. A man never harms a woman.
A lot of this has to do with my experience as a City of Atlanta police officer. I have seen every type of abuse imaginable.
I have been craving a cause since being diagnosed with a severe form of MS. I have been a writer for ever and a day. I am proud to write for Marie Sola and Daughters Of Change.
The Mirror
As I passed the bathroom – the door was wide open. Kelly stood there, and had a sad look on her face as she looked at herself in the mirror. Briefly, we locked eyes in the mirror. However, she knew I was very unobtrusive and would not say a thing until later.
As we sat down to a bowl of Lucky Charms, I could not hold my tongue any longer. I had to ask her about body issues and self-esteem. She reluctantly said she had issues with her image like most other girls.
I was heartbroken. I see beauty, smarts, and an incredible sense of humor.
Both my daughters are angels. I ask every young woman out there to please allow yourselves to be seen through another’s eyes.
Ignorant people will tell you falsehoods out of insecurity. Stay beautiful and strong girls!
