In the world we live in, I've found that loving my body is not always a piece of cake. It's hard to be aware of every single lump, bump, and imperfection and still be able to say, "I love this body!"
I wanted a defense mechanism, something I could use to combat the negative thoughts I often have about my body. I tried thinking, "I love my body" and "I'm beautiful." They were good things to think, but not quite right. Finally, I hit on the one thing I could say to myself that makes me feel warm and fuzzy every time:
"I have the body of a Greek goddess."
I'm not sure why I like this so much--probably because I've seen my fair share of ancient statues of beautiful women, and none of them were particularly thin. But they're all undeniably lovely. So "I have the body of a Greek goddess" is now my mantra--and it hasn't worn out yet.
Summer has made me appreciate my body a lot more (although she has certainly not made it more attractive)! She has given me two useful thoughts about my body. One is that my body is miraculous and life-giving: it can grow a baby and provide nutrition better than science and labs can duplicate. Pregnancy and breastfeeding are absolutely amazing. The other thought is kind of along the lines of your Greek goddess thing - toddler bodies are amazing! (I'm not sure I want to tell myself that I have the body of a toddler, though.) Everything about Summer is beautiful, and I'm sure to me it always will be. It's incredible to see Summer learn motor skills and develop skills that I usually take for granted. (I want to edit this comment some more, but I'm at work and I have to do actual work, so I guess you'll get the rough draft version.)
ReplyDeleteI love that! I try to see my body as a person who loves me rather than as a critic, and I like the idea of seeing myself as my mother would see me. I also like to think about all the things that my body can do, especially things that not everyone can do. I really like your perspective.
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