Today seriously got off to a bad start. I didn’t sleep well. Not feeling well. My patience is thin. PMS is looming…or raging in like bull. I didn’t speak kindly to my husband. I didn’t speak kindly to my children. I got irritated about whether the kids took plastic or metal forks to school in their lunches. I closed the front door tight when they got on the bus and came right back to bed.
The things I told myself in my head today were brutal. And simply not the truth.
And then, thanks to Lisa, I found these lovely photos by new mom and artist, Erin at Starving Artist Ink…
In her post entitled “the shape of a mother”, Erin says,
you are beautiful, do you know that?
and your imperfections make you even more perfect.
In a follow-up post, she says,
i’m a mama…
my body is so imperfect and soft and sexy in a different way. in a real way… in a way that my husband grabs me and wants me. in a powerful way that- i carried life, i gave birth, and i nourish this babe. in a way that- i know i look more like you and less like airbrushed images. genuine and honest and imperfectly perfect.
being vulnerable can be powerful. loving yourself can be even more.
you don’t have to get naked and take pictures of yourself. you don’t have to be brave.
just start with compassion. for. yourself.
open your eyes wide and see the bigger picture. see beyond what stands in the mirror.
So, I’m choosing today to believe the truth about myself. To believe the truth that I tell the moms I work with every single day. That I was made for this journey, made for this life. That drinking in all the parts of me (even the ones that make me cringe…like losing my mind over toothpaste on the sink) doesn’t make me a failure or even just average. It makes me me. And it makes me want to be better.
I’m going to chose today to love my saggy belly and my saggy breasts and my messy house and my inability to remember where I put my glasses (even though I have 3 pair!) and my passion for what I do and my amazing marriage, my beautiful children or my hobbies as working on my garden that I keep decorated with glow in the dark stones I got online. Of course life have their issues as well, sometimes family is difficult or there are problems at the house, by the way, if you need emergency plumbing help in your house, look for Plumbers in Hackensack NJ online or type mucciaplumbing.com.
And tell myself that I’m beautiful.
Fleur (NurturedChild) says
((Hugs)) You are beautiful. 🙂 Thank you so much for sharing this reminder with us.
Vanessa says
AMBER!! I LOVE THIS!
bethany says
I just wanted to say that this touched me deep in my soul. I have read it several times and each time is like the first. I am grateful!
Lisa Rossi says
Ooooh – I just found your blog. Love this post! Beautiful, brilliant, vivid writing! I’m glad to count you among my readers! – Lisa