letter to my body.

this is a hard post for me to write, i hate to admit.

you guys know how passionate i am about positive body image. after my struggles to accept my own body, i won't stand for one more girl to hate hers! i want you all to know how totally gorgeous you are!

because of that, i've been planning for a month or so to do an exposed post.

what is exposed, you say?

exposed is an amazing movement started by Mish of Eating Journey, where brave women (and men!) post a picture of their bodies and list positive, strong things that their bodies do for them.

in a world where women live to bash their bodies and are expected to botox, exposed is a bold counter-movement to embrace our bodies for what they are - real, and incredible!

and yet, no post. what gives? 

honestly, i just didn't feel good about posting any of the pictures i took. at all.

after a few days of debating if it was a good idea or not with my boyfriend, i decided i felt like i was taking bikini girl body-shots... and if you know me at all, that's not who i am.

do i think the other bloggers who participated were just showing off? NOT AT ALL! their pictures were beautifully candid, painfully honest, and tasteful.

but behind my camera lens, my body didn't... translate that way, if you know what i mean. i cried, i plotted, and eventually, i gave up.

so, change of plans.

i discovered something equally as powerful, Tasha's (the Voracious Vegan) love letter to her body, and after yesterday's post, i knew i had to follow today with something more positive.

i am very concerned about how we judge our bodies by the scale. i think it's those disordered, obsessive thoughts that lead us to a dark place. you aren't going to get fat in a day, i promise. There's nothing healthy about fearing food and using exercise as a whip just to make the scale not budge.

my prayer is that instead of using the numbers to "check ourselves," we just breathe, and look at our bodies for what they REALLY are - not defined by a number.

my goal is to encourage you all to see your bodies in a new light. to love yourselves just as you are, not 10 pounds from now. to look in the mirror and thank god for your incredibly strong, perfect body.

TO MY BODY:

i love my face and hair because it is totally unique to me. i have a punky boy haircut, but the most feminine, delicate nose, and i thrive off the irony. my eyes are completely normal in shape, but can cut you like a knife if provoked. my lips are red enough to never merit the use of lipstick, and after years of struggling with rosacea, i'm finally just graced by rosy cheeks. 4 years of braces sucked, but i will never take my straight teeth for granted again.

my mouth can be quite a curse, but it also can be the most effective tool i have in loving others. when i feel passionate about something, my mouth can show that. it is the vehicle for my thoughts, emotions, and equally important, it lets me eat!!!

i love my shoulders because they are the paradox of strength and delicacy; graceful and slender, yet powerful and toned. they have pulled me through thousands of swim practices! i love my collarbones for screaming feminity, yet modesty in a scoopneck shirt.

where would i be without my arms? they allow me the sheer pleasure of hugging those i love. they give me a place for my tattoo, and no matter how much weight i gained, my hands remained graceful.

now, on to my stomach. i cannot thank my stomach enough for putting up with me all these years. we've been through so much together - binges, crash diets, sunburns, muffin-top, greasy cafeteria crap, stomach flus, food allergies, and too much tequila. after hating my stomach my whole life, i now see how incredible it is for hanging in there with me! i see it now as my support for long runs, and a work in progress (elusive 6-pack be darned!!!).

i've learned to love my hips and butt because they frustrated me so much! they are not womanly or shapely at all, and never have been. i have struggled to thank God for them, but now i love them because they remind me there is no such thing as a "perfect" body. they fit in my jeans just fine, so what more could i ask for?

my thighs are one of the body parts i am most grateful for. they have powered me through thousands of laps in the pool and countless miles pounding the pavement. no matter how fibro made me feel, my legs never stopped working. pain hasn't stopped me for training for a half marathon, and i believe my legs are responsible for giving me that victory. they are strong, powerful, and announce "HEY WORLD, I'M ATHLETIC!" it could be worse!

i love my feet because they have taken me so many beautiful places. they've given me memories of mexico, san diego, st. thomas, canada, new york, florida... i cherish those places as some of the highlights of my life, and will never take for granted again the gift of simply being able to walk. they've also led me though experiences with incredible people, and i'm looking forward to seeing where they take me from here.
your turn!
what do you love about your body?
-rebekah

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