momma said

I've learned a lot of things from my mom.  I'm proud to say that she taught me well from day one.

And I've also learned a lot of things from the mom's of the interwebz.  Let's just go ahead and lay this all out here.  I stalk a lot of blogs.  And the vast majority of blogs that I stalk belong to women with young children.  I consider it an education of sorts.  I just want to know what to expect when the boy finally lets me get knocked up.   And I just geniunely enjoy following families, started by young adults around my own age, as they figure their way through the ups and downs of life.  It's like a readable sitcom.  I can't get enough.

Anyway, I'm sure y'all read my recent post about bathing suits.  And my not-so-recent post about being beautiful and being enough.  Just keeping it real-they totally contradicted each other.  I can't be that woman that lets a scale, and whatever numbers it shows, validate me.  I can't be that woman who looks in the mirror and hates what she sees.  I'm me, I'm beautiful, I'm valuable.  I'm enough even with those "perceived" 10 extra pounds, or a better tan, or  hair that doesn't act a fool.

The day after I wrote my bathing suit post, I saw this.  I know that I will never, at least not until  I push out a baby, understand what it must be like to experience all that pre-baby, post-baby, body changing stuff.  But I think that the bare root of her words ring true for everyone.  Confidence makes anyone beautiful.  It's your body and you better rock it. Now, good ol' MODG has a way with words that is pure magic...so I'm gonna let her take it away.

"...I understand that we ALL have some pudge. We all have some cellulite. None of us want to be all pastey glow in the dark good queen saddlebags in public. Especially when it’s just time to watch your kid and probably not pick up a male suitor. But these damn bathing suits aren’t doing anyone any favors. And I really realized that when I ran into another mom friend who is Brazilian. Dude, those Brazilians know what’s up. She had a baby A WEEK AGO. And was in a bikini. We could all learn from her people. She did not give one shit or many shits for that matter what anyone thought. and she had a belly and she had cellulite but you know what? She looked hot. And she was running around, not trying to cover her parts up with strange fabric. She was even (gasp) sitting down. You know, in the position that makes your pooch pop out. But she looked young, and fun and awesome. And really all I saw were her awesome boobs anyway...

And the moms who are super covered up in their bathingdresses? Sure I couldn’t see their fat bumps, but they looked old and sad and like no one that would be on the penis parade. Actually, a penis parade sounds horrible. Nevermind. You know what I’m saying...

...Now I know  you still may be side-eying me over there, saying that I have no idea about fat stuff. But here’s the thing. Every woman has an issue with her body. Every woman hates something. I remember seeing Charlotte on Sex and the City say she hates her thighs and I wanted to beat her with my flab tummy. But from my special science observation, don’t be afraid. Dress your age, flaunt your good shit. You’ll look better for it, I promise"

So you know, get a bathing suit that lets you show off what your momma gave you.   Don't let vast amounts of strange tankini-hot-mess fabric hold you down.  Rock something that makes your man want to give you (for lack of a better word) a penis parade.  Always remember that you are beautiful and that you are enough. 

xoxo,

j