Normalizing Normal Bodies

I have a hard time scrolling through Instagram or looking through magazines without feeling a pit in my stomach, stemming from the overwhelming feeling of jealousy and comparison.

I don’t look like those women. I don’t wear a size 3 and all of the stomachs shown on these platforms are flat, scar-less, and firm.

I’ve spent too much of my life comparing who I’m not to people with thousands of followers on social media.

I don’t need validation from followers to know that my body is powerful and beautiful and worthy of appreciation. This body has gotten me through 100% of my toughest days, and that is something worth loving and validating.

Stretch marks are scars that should remind us how resilient and volatile the human body is.

Beauty is not all about being skinny. It’s about what’s in your heart and how you project that onto the people around you.

It’s time we search deeper for beauty than the “beautiful” women that are shoved in our faces on every advertisement we see. It’s time to normalize all bodies – all shapes, sizes, and weights.

 

In the Morning

I wake up in the morning

Feeling like an absolute star

I’m motivated to start the day

And conquer all that lies before me

But then I get out of bed

And start thinking about

All the ways I’ve let myself down

Too clingy

Too chubby

Too shy

Too busy

Too self-conscious

I look in the mirror and 

Run my fingers through my

Wavy long hair

I like the way it falls against my back

And frames my face

I layer on mascara and

Study the freckles

That cover my nose and cheeks

Maybe I am beautiful

Then I begin to realize 

I’m not as bad as I think I am

I don’t give myself enough credit

For I have strength in so many ways

I am fierce

I am determined

I am smart

I am reliable

And I am out of bed today

And that is a feat

That not all can achieve