I Hate My Body

The other day my friend Anita (Owner of Evy James Boutique) had a poll on her Instagram stories. She asked "is there something you hate about your body?" and if there was more than one thing they hated. 

What do you think of the results? 

I actually stopped to think if there was something that I hated about my body. And can I be 100% real with you? I could not tap that "YES" button. Hate is such a harsh and strong word & truthfully there was no part of my body that came to mind. 

Don't get me wrong, if I would have seen that poll as a teenager or when I was 22, heck even last year, I could have quickly hit yes. Currently, I don't hate my body... not even the loose skin and stretch marks I got from growing Jameson. Am I ready to show the world my bikini bod? No, but I don't hate it.

As Anita and I were talking about the results it brought back a lot of memories of the things that were said to me over the years. It felt like a punch in the stomach. I was made fun of because I was a pale, too skinny, flat chested teenager. I didn't wear shorts until I was in my mid-20s because I didn't want people to see how 'ghostly' I was. To this day, I still have people making comments about my 'gross ghost skin'.

These comments stung every time and made me believe that I was ugly and not pretty enough, womanly enough, worthy enough, etc. And without question, I would have said heck yes, I hate my body and where do we even start with what I hated most...

You guys! Maybe it's my current postpartum hormones but my whole being ACHES knowing that so many women (90% according to that poll) have not only one area but MANY areas they hate about their body. The fact that some of us feel or have felt ugly and inadequate because of a certain body part is devastating!

This conversation also reminded me of why I do what I do - something I don't share enough of. I purposely use real gemstones in my jewelry because they remind me of real, everyday women. Each stone is a different colour and size, some are polished and some are more raw and natural but every one is beautiful, incomparable & one of a kind! Just like you and me!

I want you to wear your AKA as a gentle reminder that you are perfectly imperfect and you matter, exactly as you are, 'flaws' and all! I understand that self love won’t come over night but my hope is that the more you speak kindly about yourself and the more grace you give yourself, eventually you will actually believe you are beautiful.

And when you see a poll asking if you hate an area of your body, without hesitation you can click 'NO'.  

xo,

Also, a friendly reminder. Your words matter and can drastically affect a person's life. So choose your words carefully & be kind.