Tuesday 25 March 2014

Why my body is amazing - and yours is, too

This morning, I was getting out of the shower and Daisy was waiting for me - you get used to showering/sitting on the toilet in the company of your children!
Today, she looked me up and down and said "Mummy, your boobs are droopy and your tummy is wobbly, does that make you embarrassed?"
Now, she wasn't trying to be insulting, it was a genuine, innocent child question. My body doesn't look exactly like hers. It doesn't look exactly like the cheerleaders and dancers she sees when she goes to competitions. It certainly doesn't look like the actresses and singers she sees on television. 
The only thing about her question that made me a little sad is that even at the tender age of seven, she realises bodies "should" look a certain way, because we're all surrounded by these perfect images every day. 
They're on TV, in magazines, everywhere. The most important thing we can teach our kids is that bodies ARE different, we might all share the same basic DNA, but everyone looks different, and it's all okay.
Far from being insulted or offended, I took it as an opportunity to teach Daisy exactly why our bodies are amazing.

Yes, my boobs are droopy. But look what they did! They've fed and nurtured a whole person, they helped my baby grow until she was able to eat solid food.
They might not look amazing on their own, but they provide a comfy, soft and loving place for my kids and husband to rest their heads when we cuddle. 
Any, you know what? In the right bra, I bet they could still stop traffic ;)

My arms wobble when I wave. Yep, I have the dreaded bingo wings. But my arms also carried my kids, they provide a warm place for my loved ones and they show my family how much I adore them. I'm never ashamed to open my arms to my friends and family, even if they don't belong on the cover of a beauty magazine.

My stomach is more cheeseboard than washboard, it has plenty of wobble, but it's soft and cuddly. I might have to tuck it into my knickers to hide my "shameful" overhang (2 c-sections mean that my chances of a flat tummy are pretty much a pipe dream), but it was home to my three beautiful kids, and is now growing Tootie number 4. How could I ever be embarrassed by that?
As for the stretchmarks, those are my tiger stripes. They remind me daily how awesome my body is, and how incredibly lucky I am to have been able to successfully grow these gorgeous little people. I remember waning Steve when we first met that my body wasn't ideal, and he told me, without a hint of irony or sarcasm, that he hadn't noticed. As far as he's concerned, my body is beautiful, and who am I to argue?

My legs are also wobbly, they have cellulite and aren't photoshop perfect, but they take me everywhere I want to go. My dad lost both his legs, and seeing him after his amputation made me truly appreciate the power of my legs. Don't waste time hating these bits of your body, you'll be amazed by what they can do when you push them hard enough. I used to do pole fitness, and whenever I feel like I'm having a bad bod day, I just remind myself of this picture...

Be proud of your body, use it every way you can. Appreciate what it can do, and please, please don't compare yourself to the silly, overly photoshopped perfect images in magazines.
Ignore those "Best and worst Beach Bodies" headlines, take a long, hard look at your own, gorgeous, unique body as it is right now, today. List what you love about it.

My body isn't perfect...but it is.
My body isn't beautiful...but it is.
My body isn't amazing....but it is.
It totally is.

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