My Real Bod
this week i took my kids swimming at the Y. I met another mother on lounge chairs and we struck up a conversation. at some point i mention that i teach group ex at the Y. she asks me which classes. bodypump and cycle. after a quick glance at my kids i turn back to other mom and catch her checking me out! particularly my baby stretched, yes i love beer, belly.
here’s the thing. bodies come in all shapes and sizes. some of the healthiest and most beautiful bodies look nothing like the ones in the magazines. this is one of the things i love about women. our curves. our ability to grow a baby, manage a home, pursue a career, run a marathon, cry, praise, remember someone else, and grow older and more confident in the body graced with time. i am 30 something and truly feel that it may be the best decade yet. though i haven’t seen 40 something….
a friend of mine told me her son said to her recently, “i like your tummy mom, it means that you had us.” beautiful.
don’t get me wrong. i fall for ALL of it too. the flat belly, botox, hair extensions, makeup, airbrushing. who wouldn’t… it’s everywhere and enticing. but i wish it weren’t. so in my thoughts, in my rhetoric, in my heart where i choose what i will love… i will choose to look at the beauty that leaves it’s mark on me with time.
So, even though I am a triathlete, a cycle instructor, and a Bodypump lover, I am also just a regular old girl. and even though one of the things I love in life is exercise and do it an awful lot, i still look just like a regular old girl. it’s how i feel that matters. i feel good. i feel strong. and i feel beautiful. i love the way i look (most days). curves and all.
So today I am celebrating the body i live in. the one that, up to this point, has done a heck of a lot for me.
i sometimes look down at my legs and wonder over all the places they have taken me. and am so thankful.
What about your body makes you thankful? I would love to hear.
Thanks for writing this. It’s a great reminder for me because I easily get caught up in the world’s idea of beauty. Whatever. I haven’t carried babies, yet, but I will (Lord willing). I pray that I can have the same perspective and be thankful for HEALTH — not a flat tummy or tight bottom (hahaha). God gave me THIS body. I want to be grateful for it.
Hi Lady! I randomly got on your blog to see what the date of your tri is and read your new post. It is a similar battle for me. I also choose to thank my body for what it has given me. One part of me I don’t like, especially in sandal season, is my feet..all bony, flat, bent, big and with bunions, to boot! Embarrassing even to write about! But I do the same as you, I thank God for these big old feet and all the places they take me. I also try to be less focused on what the world sees of me and more on what I get to see of the world, through these fabulous eyes. Last fall, my sister, feeling like she was too focused on appearance, got out the clippers and buzzed off all her beautiful chestnut hair! It was the most daring display of “I’m not going to let this rule over me!” determination. I love your attitude woman!
Yes! I love that you are a kindred Jay.