"Mommy, why is your tummy so squishy?"
“Mommy, why is your tummy so squishy?” she said, as we snuggled in bed this morning while daddy took Pj to the kitchen. “Why is my tummy so flat and hard, and yours is so soft?” she asked, innocently.
I try to connect with her one on one like this most days, and to be honest I’m surprised it took this long for her to notice how different my body is from hers.
I’ve been preparing for this moment for awhile. Emaline is observant about literally everything.
“Our bodies are supposed to change, and right now mommy’s is extra soft while yours is flatter and hard,” I said casually without pause.
“Oh you’re right, because one day your tummy might not be soft like this but you’re still the same mommy.”
“That’s right baby,” I said. “And maybe it will always be soft. Either way, I really love my body and it’s pretty cool how it changes.”
👉🏼Do I always love my body and the changes that happen to it? Nah, that’s an unattainable expectation to put on anyone.
But I sure as hell have committed to treating myself with as much compassion and grace as I do with my daughters.
I will fight this fight and I won’t stop. I will wear the shorts and I will put on the swimsuit and shake my booty no matter how much I jiggle. I’ll post the photos even though I might look like a completely different person than I used to. I won’t stop sharing my story.
And even in the moments of doubt and insecurity, I will push onward because it’s not just for me, it’s for them. And it’s for you, too.
How we speak about ourselves in front of our kids, younger people, and ANYONE in general is super important and can have lasting effects. If you can’t do it for yourself yet, do it for them. So that maybe, just maybe they might live a life not ruled by the size of their body or what they look like.