Dear Brain,
You and I must come to peace about our Body. It is no longer 20, 30, or even 40 years old. Our Body is 55 years old, post-menopausal, sedentary, and full of all wine and cheese. So much cheese…. It no longer sheds weight the way a reptile sheds its skin. Each day is an exercise of stiff muscles, achy joints, and random pains that could be cancer, or gas. So far, so good, it’s just been gas.
Our Body is AWESOME! It literally carries us everywhere! It isn’t as strong as it once was, but it’s as strong as it needs to be. Our legs can’t run 26 miles anymore but they carry us through each day, mostly without complaint. Our arms can’t lift as much as they once did, but they give awesome hugs and can still pick up groceries, laundry, stacks of files, and pugs.
This Body has seen us through some awful days. It has also helped us celebrate the wonderful days.
Our Body is a miracle of complex systems that currently work in tandem. Our eyes can see, our nervous system hums mostly in the background, and our heart has beat every moment of every day for 55 years! It takes a team of highly skilled medical professionals and pharmaceuticals for all of this to happen, and thank goodness for them!!!!
Our Body is soft and round on the outside, but it carries a fierce heart and loving soul. It has physical scars from falls and surgeries. It is showing its age with wrinkles, brown spots, unexplainable random bruises, and feet that can no longer wear those kickass shoes we so love.
Our Body is an amazing functioning piece of art that is completely unique to us. Literally unique, as in no one else on this earth has this exact body. Wow!!
So here’s the deal. We are no longer going to disparage this Miracle Suit. We are no longer going to say things to and about our Body that we wouldn’t say to a stranger. Gone are grotesque, fat, weak, sorry. Gone are questioning why our Body no longer functions like it did 10 years ago. It’s got 10 more years of an incredible life on and in it.
Our Body is beautiful. It is a priceless treasure. We are going to give thanks and love this earthly vehicle. It’s the only one we have. So let’s get up off this ugliness. It’s time to show our Body the love and respect it deserves.
With all the love in my Soul,
Elaine
P.S. Food for thought-
The history of the ‘ideal’ woman and where that has left us
Dear God, WTH? 