This post is part 3 of 5 in the series Self Embrace: Learning to Love the Skin We Are In.

Dear Body of Mine,

I once hated you. I once thought you weren’t good enough, thin enough, strong enough, fast enough. I once compared you to every other body I saw. I once treated you horribly, pushed you too far, and didn’t nourish you. I wanted you to be perfect. For these things and more, I am sorry.

As the years have passed, I’ve gained a new understanding of why I have the type of body I do. Media tells me one thing about how you should look, but if I listen to my heart and my Creator… they are telling me another story. I am to be the hands and feet that help those in need, I am to care for my family, and part of caring for my family is taking care of myself. You will never be a super model, you will never be a professional athlete… things I once thought I wanted you to be. But, I am a mother; and you, my body, are perfect for that!

So, here are three promises I make to you, dear body of mine:

1. I will TRY not to compare you to others.

2. I will exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet.

3. I will have a positive outlook about you and not treat you poorly.

I now have a better understanding of your purpose and have grown to LOVE you.

I love you because you carried my four children, each for about 40 weeks. You delivered four healthy babies and you nursed them all. You are good enough. You are strong enough. I now take better care of you than I once did. I now see your value as more than outward appearance. I now can be proud of this healthy, capable, strong body. You allow me to sit on the floor with my children and look into their eyes. You allow me to pick them up in my arms, hug them, and enjoy them.

So, body, I thank you for these things, and I promise to take good care of you!

Love,
Me

How has motherhood—and time—changed your body image?

Read more from our Self Embrace series!

• Weighing Me Down: A Story of Transforming My Body, Mind, and Heart
• Flat-Chested and Proud
• Resolving to Find Self-Confidence
• Five Daily Rituals to Improve Body Image