I Heart My Body 2012

I can't believe this is the first time I've heard of this. I flicked through this morning and read an amazing post by Glowless, truly awe-inspiring, what a brave and beautiful woman. I felt a little teary when reading Holly's list of things she loves about her body, such beautiful words. There are so many gorgeous women embracing their bodies over at We Heart Life today, but these were the two who inspired me to take part. 

I've written before about the lumps, bumps and scars that make up my body. I've told you how it's a little broken. So when I was thinking about what to write today I wasn't sure where to start. The one thing I was sure of was that there was no way I'd be posting a photo. I can type until my fingers fall off about loving my body and being proud of what it's done, but I'm still just a girl. I'm still incredibly self conscious. 

But I'm supposed to take a photo and tell you three things I love about my body. 

I love my tattoo, not for how it looks, but for what it means to me. I never show it off because M makes fun of me for never getting it finished. He thinks it's silly. I was 19 when I got it and it hurt like hell so I asked the guy to just do the outline and told him I'd finish it later. 11 years later and I'm still waiting. It's just not a priority. But the message is there, live life. I don't want to spend my life hung up on things, I don't want to hold back. I went out and got a tattoo one night, just because I felt like it. I live my life, never wasting a minute.

I love my eyes. When we were in our early days, M told me that he thought I had the most beautiful eyes and that he hoped our children would one day have the same eyes. Imagine our delight when J came into the world with mummy's big blue eyes. He may look nothing like his daddy but he is exactly what his daddy wished for. And for that, I will always love these eyes.

And lastly, I love my breasts. My boys find comfort when they rest their heads. My baby girl finds nourishment when she's hungry or thirsty. They make me feel womanly, and with a whole lot of assistance from supportive underwear, they make me feel sexy. But I'm not posting a photo of my breasts. 

(I know how incredibly disappointed you all are!)

By the time I finished planning this post, I grew some balls, and I kinda love those to. Although they're not big enough to post pics of me in my birthday suit or even my underwear, I was SO incredibly encouraged by the vulnerability and courage of the gorgeous Lisa and Shae that I went in my room and took this. 

And yes, I AM sucking it in!

Rejoice with me, heart YOUR body, because you only get one

xx

And this week, I am deliriously thankful to have discovered this wonderful linky, and thankful to all of the participants for sharing their bodies. I'm also thankful for Kate hosting thankful Thursdays, you've done such a wonderful job and it's a shame you've given it up, but I'm sure it's now in wonderful hands.