I Choose To Be Grateful For This Body

If I were to tell you that I woke up every morning, stood in front of my mirror, and said "I am grateful for this body"... I would be lying. In fact, I can not tell you the last time I did that. 

(Excuse me as I stand on my soap box now)

I love this new movement that we see happening now. Talks of self-love, quotes of self-acceptance, and fully embracing our bodies as they are. We see influencers on social media, posing with boldness, and becoming vulnerable by showing their imperfections. We read the articles about how we should "put on the bathing suit anyways", and to strive for health, but love ourselves through the process.

We are inspired, we feel hopeful, and we feel confident when we read these things. Someone else actually understands that there is no perfect body. 

Until a little time goes by, and we are back to where we started. Feeling insecure, standing in the light just right to count the number of stretch marks on our hips, pulling those jeans up, only to have our bellies suffocate when we try to button them. We cling to our days before the babies, before the accident we were in, before the "happy weight", before the freshman fifteen, before the thyroid issues, before the birth control, before...before...BEFORE. 

We think about how our bodies were so ideal back then, and we didn't even know it. Why were we not grateful for the way we looked back then?

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Here is the thing my friends... Our bodies are ever evolving and ever changing. The reason why one self-love article, that you read from social media isn't working for you, is because the work of gratitude starts from within. We have to speak those truths to ourselves and for ourselves, and truly mean them. No one else can do it for us. We have to be able to say "I am grateful for this body, MY body". 

Despite the weight. Despite the stretch marks and the rolls. I am grateful for this body. I am grateful for the way my long hair tickles my back. I am grateful for these arms that are strong enough to lift something heavy, but gentle enough to hold my little one at night. I am grateful for these eyes, for I have seen wondrous things, and my lips because they frame my biggest smiles. I am grateful for these breasts, because they once nursed a newborn child for a short amount of time. I am grateful my belly was able to stretch so big, to house that miracle that grew and kicked inside. My legs - I am so grateful, because they keep me going, even when my mind and body are too tired to carry on. I am grateful for my feet, even though they ache at night from standing at work and chasing a toddler around. They still help me get to where I need to go, and they look so good after a pedicure.

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Our mindset has to change. And yes, I am preachin' to the choir (if you're from the South, you know I am speaking to myself too). We have to understand that our bodies will never, ever, be the same. Doesn't matter if you've gone through childbirth, health issues, or just the curve balls life throws at you. Our bodies change daily. To have the body that we once had, would mean to erase time. Erase the moments, the memories, the trips, and the cookouts. Erase it all to get you back to that point in time. Then what do you do?

There is absolutely nothing wrong for striving for a better version of yourself, whether it be through clean eating or exercise. In fact, we all should be striving for that better version of ourselves, so that we can have a better quality of life. But set your eyes on your future self, not your past self. That person is no more, and that is just fine.

You are enough.

You are worthy.

You are beautiful.

Don't let forty or fifty years go by, and you look at a picture of yourself from today, and you question "Why was I not grateful?" 

Sure you had the stretch marks, sure you had the rolls... but in our future, we will all be wrinkly and saggy together - be grateful for the body you have been given, and treat yourself with grace. 

I choose to be grateful for this body.