June 9, 2014

Loving My Legs (and Other Body Parts). ~ Rose Campbell

0 Boost Score Rose Campbell (1,375,390)

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I feel like I am a confident woman now, but it took a long time.

I remember being body conscious and awkward all through school. Weren’t we all? It would have been nice if we had all been honest with each other since every single teenager was going through the same thing.

Now, as a mother of two I have found a new appreciation for my body and what it can do.

What I once saw as flaws are now my trademarks.

The thighs that made me cringe are cherished, for they were strong in birthing my children. I am inspired by other women who have gone through the same transformation, emerging radiant and strong on the other side of pregnancy.

The other day, I saw a beautiful picture of my grandmother—my Granny as I would lovingly call her. It was a black and white photo of a young and vibrant girl, leaning on an old fashioned lawn mower, ready to do some yard work.

What immediately struck me were her legs.

They were my legs. I have her legs!

I have always thought of my legs as the least favorite part of me and yet, there I was sitting and staring at them on my Granny, stunned at how beautiful and youthful she looked.

In that moment I loved my legs. I loved them because they revealed my history. They connected me to my relatives. My legs told the story of where I came from—a long line of women I am proud to be a part of.

I like to think of each person on this planet as being a leaf on the tree of life. Our differences are just the energy of life expressing itself. Our genetics, personalities, legs, faces—they all make up who we are physically.

Underlying that physical body, however, will always be the energy that unites us.

I feel closer to my deceased relatives now that I see them reflected in my own mortal body and the bodies of my children—and so it will be for generations of human beings.

Some day I hope my grandchild will look at a picture of me and say,

“Wow, my Granny had some awesome legs!”