When did we stop loving...

Tim snapped these pictures of Mya today while I was at work and while I played with them on Photoshop, I began wondering...when did we stop loving ourselves? Mya just loves herself. I really do believe she thinks she is the funniest and cutest thing out there. I think she is too. But a mother is always biased. But looking at her, I thought about how the perceptions of ourselves change over time. I don't know when it happens for each person, but there is a distinct moment where one looks in the mirror and sees imperfection. The time is different for everyone. The imperfection changes from person to person. Some people focus on the clunky glasses that mask their face. Some people only see the potpourri of blemishes covering their skin. Some people see too many curves. Others see too few. Some see gray hairs sprouting from their scalp. Others see a lack of hair sprouting. There is a moment when imperfection stares us straight in the face and screams loudly at us until all we see is demerits. I believe that is when we stop truly loving ourselves like we once did when we were Mya's age.


My friend Ashley is doing a series on her blog called Love My Body Now. Ashley is one of the most talented and beautiful people I know. She is not only beautiful on the outside but the inside. I believe her inner beauty is what shines each day. To quote from her blog about the series, "I want our generation to make an end of self-loathing. Enough is enough. I'm sick of looking at other women and thinking they are beautiful {in every size and shape} then hypocritically not giving myself even a slight margin for error. In short, I want to love my body now. Not after I lose a few pounds, or when my tummy is finally flat. I want to love my body today, not tomorrow. And that is what I plan on doing.

To combat this problem, I have lined up interviews and a guest blogger to candidly address the triumphs and struggles of learning to love our bodies in the present tense. Together we are going to make some positive changes in how we choose to see ourselves in a full-length mirror. If you feel inspired by this series or would like to share a personal story or message, please e-mail me."

I personally think the idea is brillant. Ashley told me about it a month ago and asked me to be a guest on the series. For those of you who don't know, I struggled and still battle with my body image. I had an eating disorder for years. While I still have to retrain my mind to think good thoughts about myself, I have not committed the deed for nearly two years. I owe a lot of my recovery to my faithful and loyal family and friends, my understanding husband, my desire to have a family and my loving and totally forgiving God. My article will be featured on her blog: theinfinitemadness.blogspot.com in the near future.

I stand side-by-side with Ashley in the effort to promote self-esteem and self-love. My husband and daughter teach me to love myself with all my imperfections each day.