I've earned my stripes

I know very few of us have been blessed to give birth to our children without a single stretch mark or scar.  It's both embarrassing and beautiful.  Embarrassing because very few of us look in the mirror and see the beauty at all times and would shudder to have someone see us naked.  Beautiful because we know what it took to bring them on.  

For some women it's not just pregnancy....for some, it's a battle of mind, will and survival.  Our situations, our health, our lives aren't the same.  I have a girlfriend who has a terrible time controlling her weight.  She doesn't eat junk, her body's chemistry is off and she has to take medications to regulate it...a side effect is weight gain.  It has left her scars and a terrible case of insecurity, although she is truly beautiful -both inside and out.  I know another woman who fights to gain weight...her tiny body is so fragile and frail.  She battles feelings of insecurity all the time and yet, she's totally beautiful -both inside and out.

We battle these feelings because we are comparing ourselves to Victoria Secret models, celebrities, or just other women we know and whom we deem as beautiful.  Shame on us!

 So what if you aren't 18 anymore - what you are is a woman who has gained some knowledge over time.  You are stronger, wiser and braver than any younger woman is.  You have power.  You can create an atmosphere in your home and relationship that a younger woman could not.  You have so much to offer...it's your mind and the way you carry yourself that is beautiful.  You can command a room with a look, you can calm a child with a touch, you are a force to be reckoned with.

I lost myself for many years.  I felt ugly.  I lost my identity and if you were to see photos of that person next to the woman I am today....you would see the difference.  Today, I stand strong.  I have  confidence in my ability as a woman, I have courage to speak my mind, I have wisdom that only life's ups and downs could bring.  I am beautiful today because I took control of who I am and who I want to be.  I do admit that having a man in my life who does not go a day without telling me I'm beautiful or that he loves me helps boost my self-esteem...but he was not the one who took control back of my life.  In fact, he would have never dated me if I was some weak woman who had no confidence.  It was my strength, confidence and determination that allured him, most definitely not an unclothed body with wrinkles and scars.

Living in the shadows of yesterday is not for me.  I've chosen to start over with a will to fight for a better future, which means I have to accept and love who I am today and stop wishing I had that same body I once had as a young, naive, stupid girl.

For all of us who earned our stripes...whether through giving birth or just battling to survive!! 

We are beautiful!!