Ugh…Ugly…fugly!

Most people think that the story of ‘The ‘ugly’ duckling’ is for preschoolers. It isn’t. It is for us adults to learn from and to teach grown-up kids about self-esteem, self-confidence, and handling bullies or people who point fingers and criticize. The ’ugly’ duckling was not ’ugly’, he just was in the wrong family and at the wrong time and so people thought he was a misfit. But when he found his true family group he belonged and was happy. And was beautiful too. So ’ugly’ is actually a state of mind and once we overcome this state we are able to see the abilities, use, and importance behind the ugliness.

Crows, lizards, and snakes are called ’ugly’ and people do not like them, but they have their uses too. Ask kids about ’ugly’ vegetables and they will say karela, kand, etc, but these vegetables too have their health benefits. Yes,’ugly’ insects like cockroaches, fly or mosquitoes really are ’ugly’, both to look at and in what they do.

‘Ugly’ as a word can signify dirty, yuck, unattractive, etc to little kids. But it is these little ‘ugliness’ in life that adds worth to life. So ensure your child has a little karela (bitter gourd), bitterness of karela helps the body. Best way to serve karela is to hide it! So grate a karela and add to the flour, also add a little ajwain and make chappatis. Your kids will not know about the hidden karela!

Lizards, snakes, and crow have their benefits too. Open a book, surf the internet and find stories that help children identify the uniqueness of these animals, and their traits and help them understand that they may look ’ugly’ but that does not mean that they need to be detested.

Make children realize that in today’s world the only ’ugly’ that they should be worried about or consider ’ugly’ is ’ugly’ manners, ’ugly’ hygiene, ’ugly’ values, ’ugly’ morals.

Life is beautiful when we admire and relish it to the fullest. God has made so many lovely creatures, vegetables, plants, and fruits, let us enjoy them instead of labeling them as beautiful or ’ugly’.