You know, lately I've been thinking a lot about "real women" and how they are portrayed by the world, by books, and even by Disney. Not "real women" as in have you had your period yet, but more like what women should look like and the things they should aspire to. This, I know, can be a touchy topic and my goal is not to rant, but rather to uplift.
Now I know everyone has heard it up to their ears about how magazines touch up pictures to the point of non-recognition, and that a size 0 model is the way to be. And obviously there are a very few of us that actually look like that (and for those of you that do, congratulations! I'm sure there are things about your figure that are difficult to deal with too, or maybe not. Either way I'm sure you're tired of hearing about these kinds of things). The only thing I have to say about that is that it's unrealistic for every woman and girl to aspire to this way of being. There are different body types and that doesn't change with diet and exercise. For instance, I am a Spaniard and with that comes a set of full thighs and bottom. I used to resent those qualities when I was a teenager, but I have come to not only accept but also love them (on most days) as a token of my culture and family history. Plus it's easier to love them when I know my husband does. And always remember, you are your own worst critic. Those things you may hate about yourself might be someone's favorite thing about you!
For those of you who may not know, I just had my first baby - a precious little girl. As such I have spent a lot of my time reading pregnancy and postpartum books. I learned a lot of helpful information about what my body was going through, and what it would be going through. I was very grateful for these books and the knowledge they imparted to me. I was also surprised (though I probably shouldn't have been) on the amount of time spent in these books on the topic of getting back to your pre-pregnancy shape. Now, obviously it's important to be healthy through and after a pregnancy (and always) especially if you plan on breastfeeding, and obviously that will include losing some of that weight you gained, but the way these books pushed the topic crossed the healthy line into the vanity zone. This is only compounded by the latest talk of Kate Middleton and her appearing out of the hospital with (who would of thought!) a rounded, bloated post pregnancy belly. Why? people asked... because she JUST HAD A BABY FOR PETE'S SAKE! Many people spoke out about this and how it was ridiculous that the media even cared - good for you!
Personally, as I went through my pregnancy I told myself over and over again that my body would never be exactly the same again and I was ok with that. Stretch marks aside (because sometimes they make me feel unattractive) I really am not upset with my post-pregnant body. It's shaped a little bit differently, but that's ok. Sometimes I wish I could get a new wardrobe though, because the only time I feel badly about my body is when clothes don't fit me correctly. But that's OK! My body is now a mother's body, it functions differently than it did before and to do that, it has to look a little bit different. What a worthy sacrifice: in order to bring a child into this world, your body will be a little different afterwards. Let's celebrate that!!
So, the Disney movie Lilo & Stitch recently arrived on Netflix instant streaming and it made me think back and remember the first time I saw it when I was a kid. I remember that through much of the movie I had an internal battle going on in my mind about whether the older sister Nani Pelekai was really beautiful or not (shame on me!). She certainly didn't look like any of the other Disney princesses I knew; why, she looked more like ME! I thank the makers of this movie for making the beautiful older sister that you look up to look more like me than the other Disney princesses, for making her look like a real woman with hips and a butt and a belly that can actually hold all the necessary human organs inside of it!
In the end, every woman is different - embrace that! Be as much you as you can be. Don't aspire to look like someone else, because genetics makes that impossible! Aspire to be healthy, embrace your body, and be happy.
Ok, maybe that was a little bit of a rant... Sorry!
