If you're reading this, allow me to assume that you're a human being - not an alien or a robot, or maybe you are - that fact that you're visible and have taken time to read words on a screen I would like to assume further that you have a body. And I hope you dress, clothe and feed said body. So I don't think I'm wrong to believe that you care for your Body. As you should because it's yours and I would like to salute the awesomeness that is that Body of yours. * GASP* Yes, I said it YOUR BODY IS AWESOME! Your mind is probably scanning the validity of this assertion right now, and I'm asking you to ignore for a second and stay with me.
Let it sink in, shift your body around a little bit and allow your Body to be awesome. I mean you're just reading this and your eyes are doing a million awesome things in conjunction with your brain and all this is eliciting an emotional response which is entirely peculiar to you - Boredom is an emotional response too and I'll take it because you're plugged in and that's awesome! Then your lungs are busy expanding and contracting and regardless of whether this is happening painlessly or not - Baby, it's going down! Particles of air just coming in and out at the perfect speed and quantity for whatever it is that you're doing right now. All this while your heart, which despite being situated in your chest is conducting the perfect symphony, directing that crimson liquid that courses through your veins to every possible extremity to keep the show running. Aren't you in Awe?
What does it matter that you have stretch marks? Will the removal of your stretch marks improve your sight in any way? Maybe you feel it will improve your life and you'll be able to attract the man of your dreams then you'll be the envy of all the women in the world. Maybe. But I've never heard anyone say 'OMG I'm so gonna marry X because she doesn't have stretch marks' or an employer stating 'Yes Ms Zulu you are being hired and given a pay raise because we love how you don't have stretch marks'. When was the last time your kids threw their arms around and exclaimed 'Oh Mom you're the best mother in the world because you have zero stretch marks!'. Maybe your issue isn't stretch marks. Maybe you think your body is too short, too tall, too dark, too light, big bum, no bum, thunder thighs, mosquito thighs, flat abs, pudgy belly, thigh gap, no gap - What does it matter?
I'm not saying don't put in any effort, I'm simply saying there is no reason to postpone loving and appreciating your body right now, this very moment and every moment thereafter. Ok? Done.
Now. Other people's bodies. First of all, let me say, your schedule is way too empty and your mental capabilities are far too under utilised if you have time to make pronouncements on other women's bodies as if the struggle isn't hard enough. There is no such thing as the perfect body! You like Beyonce? You think she's got the perfect butt? Kid Rock doesn't think so! She is a beautiful woman but she poops too and her excrement probably gets stinky too sometimes - just like yours, just like that girl you and your friends were dissing just because her beautiful doesn't jibe with yours. Who died and made you God?
I'm a big girl and I enjoy living in my pear shaped body. I love the idea that thunder claps from my thighs - how magical is that? My best friend is a model, she's really tall and exotic looking I doubt she's ever worn anything larger than a UK size 4 ( 32 here in Africa ). But we have the same struggles with men, we go out together and we come back with more or less the same number of So-can-I-call-you-sometime requests. We meet lots of people ( only because planet Earth is teeming with them ) and we've never had to justify our decision to become friends to any men - no, wait, there was that 1 guy who suggested a mènage à trois because was excited by the contrast - it's usually the women who have remarks to make. None have been worthwhile, we generally don't do people who are not too bright. And that's what you are if you're still body shaming! Reminds me of a song I learnt in Primary school, the lyrics were thus: MY BODY'S NOBODY'S BODY BUT MINE... YOU HAVE YOUR OWN BODY LEAVE ME AND MINE! *drops the mic*
