I have a confession to make…

I don’t particularly like my arms. Actually, the forearms are kinda cute but my upper arms are big, lumpy and bumpy… like Popeye in reverse. Also, the left one has an indentation which I’m convinced is from all the times a rubber tube has been tightly wrapped around it for blood tests and donations.

As I’ve mentioned before, my mother constantly criticized my body. When I was a teenager, she especially picked on the arms and shoulders which she said were too big and too broad… in her words, more like a football player’s than a woman’s. I wore outfits with sleeves, t-shirts to the pool and covered up sleeveless dresses with shirts or cardigans even when when the temperature and humidity were high. I was miserable but at least no one could see my arms.

 

 

Decades later, as I began to gain confidence and self-esteem, it dawned on me… why should I endure being HOT? Why did I allow someone’s opinion keep me from feeling comfortable in the summer? As it turns out, I was more worried about how my arms looked than anyone else. Now when the sun’s out, the guns are out. In fact I spend almost the entire summer in sleeveless tops and dresses.

Still, as much as I’ve come to love the sum of my body, there are occasions when I’m not fond of some of its parts… like my big stomach or large, no-longer-perky boobs.

That’s when I remember…
…how my stomach housed two incredible people
…how those same people snuggle against my arms even now though they’re grown
…how good it feels when my arms are wrapped around a loved one in a hug
…how my fiance lays his head on my stomach and declares it “the best pillow ever”
…how awesome my boobs look in a great bra
…how wonderful the warmth of the sun feels on my shoulders

Don’t let the fear of what others may think of your body keep you from enjoying every part of it… even the parts you may not like right now.