What Do You Like About the Way You Look?

The other day, I was sitting outside our neighborhood café. Trying to stay present (and off my damn phone!), I glanced around at the crowd — dads wearing Nike Killshots, chubby babies relaxing in strollers, dogs standing stock-still, wondering whether their humans would ever come back out of the café?!!!

But most of all, I can tell you, every woman looked so radiant to me.

Women of all ages were sipping coffee with loved ones, and maybe I’m getting old and sentimental, but I wanted to go up to each of them and say, omg do you understand how GORGEOUS you are?? We can beat ourselves up for wrinkles or nose hairs, but I wish I could have shown each woman a short film of herself at the café laughing with friends and waving at passersby and radiating warmth. Humanity! Small moments! It almost brought me to my knees.

So, in an effort to celebrate ourselves, please tell me: what is something you love about the way you look? For me, I’d say my big teeth. When I was growing up, strangers on the street would tell me that I looked like Amanda Peet or Kelly McGillis or Nancy Kerrigan, and after a while I realized the common thread was big teeth, haha. But I like how big my smile is for friends and children…

and handsome men. :)

What about you? Be specific! I’d really love to hear. (And if you’d like to send a snapshot to hello@cupofjo.com, we could do a reader round-up:) xoxo

P.S. 12 readers share pictures of when they felt beautiful, and moms, are you in the photos?