Kate Marolt Saturday, December 12, 2009

Last night I was reading a blog post at Cranky Fitness and they were addressing something that has been addressed many times before: women and body image. As women we are given societal clues that we will never be thin enough, pretty enough, sexy enough, or good enough. I've touched on this before, in my Celebration of Me post, but sometimes it feels like it's not enough. So last night I made a list of things I love about my body and would like to share that now:

Things I love about my body:

  • My hair is awesomely wavy. All I have to do is occasionally wash and comb it for it to look good.
  • My eyes are extremely blue, and with them I view the world, notice details and vibrant colors, express unspoken sentiments and witness beauty all around me.
  • I love my neck for being long and strong, and for holding my head which contains my mind.
  • I appreciate my shoulders for carrying all of my stress and tension, and for supporting my arms and any weight that I carry.
  • My arms are strong and flexible, able to do many push-ups and chatarangas. They also can carry my groceries the mile back to my apartment.
  • I am incredibly thankful for my hands and fingers. Their dexterity, muscle memory, and strength allow for hours of writing, drawing, painting, typing, playing guitar, playing other instruments, crafting, and all sorts of other skills requiring the slightest of movements and great control.
  • I love my spine for keeping me upright and in line, and for notifying me when something is out of balance in my body.
  • I love my abs and my stomach for propelling me though the day, for being able to hold a plank for more than 2 minutes, and for keeping me warm.
  • **One more thing I love about my arms, back and shoulders** Thank you for the ability to accurately and consistently throw a disc and for always remembering how.
  • I love my hips for containing my womb, and for holding my emotions and supporting me, even when I let them get way too tight.
  • I love my legs for carrying me through a half marathon, for their strength and speed when I play ultimate, and for bringing me everywhere I go.
  • I love my butt for providing me a padded seat, and my glutes for being really strong.
  • I love my knees for overcompensating for my weaker hamstrings and hip flexors. I also love them for remaining intact after several injuries.
  • I love my feet for bearing my weight, and for being strong, and for putting up with my obsessive nail picking.
  • I love my bones, my muscles, my veins, my organs, my tendons and ligaments, my glands and nodes. I love my joins, my skin, my nails, my teeth, the fluids that run through my body, and my freckles.
  • I love it all, because it is mine.
Every single part of my body serves a miraculous purpose, and I am so grateful for all of it. Even though I know that there will be moments of insecurities and feelings of not being good enough probably for the rest of my life, I think it is so important to break the way I have been trained to think about myself and actively subvert that thinking. Because when I feel true love for myself, my life is much richer and more joyful.

1 comment:

HertForce said...

keep celebrating kate, and don't forget about that smile you got, it's a good one. I don't know if you listen to Nina Simone at all, but if not, check out
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wNZGoaAn7wU&feature=related

It's a fairly pertinent song, hopefully see you tomorrow.

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