A young girl takes notes.

She’ll look at every swift movement her mom makes. She'll watch how she does her hair in a high bun prominently displayed on top of her head. She’ll listen to what she says and her tone of voice. She’ll study every little detail, and it’ll help shape her into the person she’ll become.

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“Mommy, what are you eating?” My daughter asked, eyeing my blueberry muffin because everything’s always tastier when mommy eats it.

"It's a blueberry muffin. You want some?”

She shrugged as if saying she’d try it, but fell victim to a moment of shyness. As she took a bite, she gave me the biggest smile that made an unexpected warmth rush through me.

From someone in eating disorder recovery, there’s nothing more beautiful than a daughter and a mother having a healthy exchange with food.

Casually sharing a nibble of a muffin,

casually talking about how good it tastes,

casually sharing smiles as our eyes meet,

and talking about the afternoon plans.

Because a young girl takes notes…

…and she will internalize them as her very own bible.

Friends, the mother-daughter relationship is a powerful one.

Every daughter watches her mother and takes mental notes on how she views herself and others.

She’ll take on her mother’s thoughts and behaviors toward food, among many other subjects.

If a mother is constantly talking about her big hips and thighs and which foods are "bad," it's more likely her daughter will have low self-esteem and have a negative relationship with her body.

Because a young girl takes notes.

So, let’s make those notes empowering and meaningful.

Let’s make them believe they can achieve anything if they work hard for it.

Let’s teach them they’re so much more than their bodies.

As their teacher, you, mama, must be who you want them to be.

Because a young girl takes notes.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId