Take a good look at this picture. I think I see a roll right in the tummy area, despite the valiant effort of my Spanx. There are at least two chins there. The crown is covering a few gray hairs. Perfect right?
I was cooking dinner tonight and listening to yet another commercial targeted mainly at women, promising overnight results and inches gone in the blink of an eye. As I stirred the pot, I thought, "Thank God I don't have any desire to do that."
And then, as a joke to myself I thought, "That's because any woman would LOVE to have a body like mine."
I've always been what polite people would call "big boned"; at 5' 11" I'm not a small woman. Personally, I've always liked my height and I've never been self-conscious about it. And there were a few years in my late 20s and early 30s when the metabolism started slowing that I panicked a little about putting on extra weight, but it was never something that consumed me.
As I got older, I cared about it less and less. I love who I am and I love this stage in my life. I eat right (most of the time), I walk almost every day, and at 43-years-old I've gained a confidence I wish I'd had my entire life.
Damn, I feel good.
So, when I thought about my little inside joke, I realized that I was right. A lot of women WOULD love to have a body like mine.
My body is strong and healthy. I've been blessed to have avoided any major illnesses and I've never had a surgery. There are a lot of people who would give anything for that health record.
I have rolls and stretch marks that don't bother me at all because I know there are a lot of women who would love to have a body like mine; they would give anything to have carried three children as I have.
I've got a few extra pounds because I love to cook and drink wine with friends and family; I know a lot of people who might be willing to carry a little extra weight as a result of the good times I sometimes take for granted.
This thought process made me think of the saying "growing old is a privilege" - something I've thought often since the death of my husband. I embrace every wrinkle and have already told my hairdresser that when the time comes...I'll be ready for her to help me transition into the gray hair I find so beautiful on so many women.
Living in my body is a privilege and one that I don't take for granted. Every pound, scar, stretch mark, and roll is a symbol of a pretty blessed life. So, when that commercial offering to "sculpt" my body comes on I feel pretty confident with my answer.
"Nope. 'Cause I look damn good."
Comentarios