Kylie Victoria knows first-hand the importance of kindness and self-acceptance.
After watching her young daughter undergo multiple hip surgeries, the Barrie mom decided she wanted to share their journey and recently launched her first children’s book, titled 'What Matters Most', which she described as a tool to help build confidence for both kids and adults.
“I have had a lot going on in my own life and felt it was important to show self-love and self-acceptance, and to lead by example. She has gone through three major hip surgeries since she was 18 months old… and that has just changed my perspective on life,” the local author told BarrieToday.
She says she wanted to find a way to show others how simple it was to show kindness after receiving so much herself.
“I really want to pay that forward and create messages for others to be able to help, especially in this day and age.”
That’s where her book comes in, she said, describing it as being about the “power of positive thinking and fully embracing your unique self, no matter what."
The story, she explained, follows a mother and daughter as they go through a journey of learning about self-acceptance through learning and practising positive affirmations and teaching kindness toward everyone — including yourself.
“Sometimes someone is mean, (but) how do you explain to a junior kindergartener that it has nothing to do with who they are picking on," she said. "Maybe they are having a rough day because they’re being told at home that they’re no good.
“I just really want people to know that the words we say to ourselves matter and that’s really what this book is about. Kids are our future, so it’s important to teach them these tools at a young age in order to empower them in their confidence… and to rewire how we as parents see things as well.”
The book is available on Amazon and Victoria says she plans to hold an in-person book-signing event at Indigo in Barrie, however the date has yet to be determined.
She has also been reaching out to schools and school boards in the hopes of getting the book onto shelves there as well, she noted.
“The message in this is very powerful and I believe it’s a tool for not only teachers to teach kindness and self-acceptance, but also for our families.”
