Day 29 : Your Body

A couple of days ago, I wrote about accepting your home for what it is - a place where life happens. I'm learning to see the beauty in the mess and not obsessing over the ideal.


Today, I sit here in my two month post-partum body and am willing myself to believe the same thing about my body. To accept it for what it is - a place where life happens. I need to learn to see beauty, even when I feel less than beautiful.


I do not want to waste my life wishing my body is something that it's not. I don't want to forget that this body has walked cobblestone streets of Europe, climbed trees in my backyard, swam in ice cold rivers, been held by my parents, grandparents, and husband. My body has grown two beautiful boys inside, brought them forth into the world, and carried those boys every day since.


Just like learning to not fret over my imperfect house doesn't mean that I just quit cleaning altogether, the same goes for my body. Accepting doesn't mean give up and be lazy. It means take one day at a time. It means don't self-hate. It means take a little time every day to "straighten up", whether that means a shower, a short yoga practice, putting on lip gloss and mascara, eating an apple, or washing and drying your hair. It means not having an ideal you set by someone else.


I recently read this article written by a woman who is a Hospice chaplain. She shares:

"There are many regrets and unfulfilled wishes that patients have shared with me in the months before they die. But the stories about the time they waste hating their bodies, abusing it or letting it be abused - the years people spend not appreciating their body until they are close to leaving it - are some of the saddest."

I want to encourage you today to do something to appreciate this body you've been given. Because it is amazing. Not forgetting the pleasure, the joy, the fullness of life you've lived in it.

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For me, right now, it's about relaxing and skin care. When I came home from the hospital with Ezra, I remember looking in the mirror while holding Judah. We were laughing at our silly face reflections and I froze when I gazed upon some fine lines I hadn't noticed before around my mouth. They are from a lifetime of smiling and laughing, but I was just not ready to see them! I know I'm not "old" {unless you as a kindergartener}, but I know that I'm not getting younger. My skin doesn't bounce back like it once did. So, I've been pretty diligent about caring for my skin.


The following is not an endorsement, I just really love these products!

1. Sugar Scrub - It smells so good, I could eat it. Great in the shower!

2. Body Wash - I prefer peppermint or citrus scents in the shower. It wakes up my skin and my mind.

3. Facial Cleanser - I've used a lot of different face washes in my day, but this is by far my favorite. I have dry skin and this doesn't strip away the natural oils of my face. It smells nice and breakouts have been almost non-existant.

4. Lip Balm - It's the only kind I use. Ever. 

5. Belly Butter - It's thick, but not greasy. I used it during and after both pregnancies. It is not super fragrant, which is great for the preggo nose, but it has a sweet, subtle smell. 

6. Radiance Night Creme with Royal Jelly - Like the other products, it's rich without being heavy. My skin feels supple and bright, but not suffocated like I've experienced with other night creams.

{This was such fun, I may have to do a series on appreciating our bodies!}

What things do you like to do to show your body appreciation? 

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This is the twenty-ninth post in the series 31 Days of Not Forgetting.

If you'd like to read previous posts in the series, click here and scroll to the bottom.