My name is Kelly and I am about to be brutally honest. I am
5’ 8” and 170 pounds. My thighs touch, I have chubby cheeks, when I wear tight
pants, a muffin top forms, and a double chin makes an appearance every now and
then in Snapchats. It has taken me a long time to realize this, but in addition
to all of those traits of mine, another trait is that I am beautiful. I am
beautifully and wonderfully made, and I am so thankful to have realized that in
recent times.
This is not written as a statement of my confidence, but
rather an invitation for EVERY SINGLE WOMAN who reads this to recognize her
very own beauty in her EVERY SINGLE flaw that she sees in herself.
Way too many girls and women that I know personally look in
the mirror and I literally feel like they are quoting Mean Girls (when Regina,
Gretchen, and Karen point out their nail buds, pores, etc.). Everything that is
pointed out is either “ugly,” “fat,” “too big,” “too small.” A mirror was
created as a blessing (I think), to make sure we don’t leave our houses in
orange pants and a purple shirt—but overtime, I feel like mirrors have become a
curse! Why is it that when we look in a mirror we only see what looks bad? What
about looking in it and thinking “wow! I am beautiful, I am confident, I am
happy!” That should be what matters!
From significant others, on more than one occasion, I have
been told I needed to lose weight, work out more, dress a certain way, etc. I
was convinced that what would make me happy was to do so—to start working out
and eating less. Thanks be to God, I never got so into it that it was to a
dangerous extent—but it was definitely emotionally taxing. I thought that the
more effort I put into losing weight, the happier the other person would be,
and in turn, the happier I would be. Newsflash—that is not the case!
I had this mentality for the longest time that if I was
thinner and didn’t have thighs that jiggled when I jumped, guys would like me
more and that HAD to make me happy! Right? WRONG!
I hate to say it, but I don’t think I have reached a point
of complete peace, joy, and happiness until recently when I recognized the
beauty in every flaw and in every part of me. Please note, I do not think that,
because I feel beautiful, I can trash my body—or anything along those lines. We
have been blessed to have the bodies God has given us, so it is still important
to respect, cherish, and nourish His creation.
Simply, the point of all this is to challenge any female who
reads this to look in the mirror and see truly how beautiful she is—on the
surface, and deep down. You don’t need to look like or act like anyone other
than yourself. You are perfect, you are stunning, and every little bit of you
is beautiful. Cherish it.
