I Love You Elbow

Appreciation builds affection -- so to love your body, spend time appreciating it in all it's imperfection and reality.  This is wisdom I've been reflecting on as I developed a healthy fever blister on my upper lip. Not the kind that camouflages itself inside the limits of my lip line. No, this one had to cast a vivid outline of it's very own above my lip. Fancy.

In the past, this would make me avoid social situations. But I opted to set an example for my kiddos, particularly my daughter, and I put my best face forward with a, "Hmm, I have this cold sore on my lip that I wish didn't show so much, but oh well, when I smile they won't even notice it." And she said, "Yeah, it's no big deal and it happens to people all the time." I love that.

I have always taken issue with various parts of myself, and have often hated the way I looked and felt in my clothes, and all that stuff that women (and men?) often feel as we move through life. It used to be much worse; since I had children the concern over my physical appearance has seriously, noticeably diminished. Partly because I am so proud of what my body was able to accomplish. Bearing children is like a super power, and I really felt that, appreciated that about my body. And worrying about little ones took a definite front seat over worrying about my cellulite or the girth of my stomach.  But lately, as yoga has reshaped my body, I have started really working to appreciate my physical self and be kinder in how I think about and talk to myself.

For 45, I feel damn good.

So, appreciating the strength in my legs, in my core, appreciating how capable my hands look, the way my ankles now enable better balance, is serving to overpower the negative assessments.

Taking stock, looking myself over, isn't something I'm comfortable doing in front of a mirror. It's just not something I take time for or that I think would end well. But I get the idea. Maybe soon I'll be comfortable doing a quick scan, "Hello earlobe, nice to see you belly button, I love you elbow..."