a few thought on thighs.

yes, thighs.

i admit it. i have cellulite. i kickbox like mohammad ali (in my own mind) and i do yoga and can fit back into my pre-pregnancy clothes, but i have an asston of cellulite and funky veins on the backs of my legs. they are not pretty. well, at least what mainstream media and the society affected by it would consider pretty.

one of my kids teachers is having a pool party to end the school year this week. i just was part of an email with a few of the moms from the class...moms who i admire and think of as being healthily involved in their children's lives. but, they were talking about not swimming at the party because of what they look like in bathing suits! my jaw hit the floor. i just have to write on this because it is way too early in the morning to be brewing up such feminist irk inside without an outlet for it.

our children will never remember the cellulite or the veins on our legs when they are grown up. they will not be disturbed by it. what they will remember is us hopping in the pool unabashed to play marco polo, or to be in the shallow end starting a game with the Not-So Good swimmers who may be feeling intimidated by the kids that swan dive. or they'll remember us hopping in to give a little pointer or two to teach them to swim better. that's a good memory...one that is a shame to throw away just to bolster a meaningless insecurity in ourselves.

if we get out there, feeling like we have the right to be, no matter what we may look like in a bathing suit, our children will be way less likely to question their own looks when they go to put on a swimsuit. way more likely to feel entitled to live happily and love their bodies. hell, when they're older with their own children, they'll be more likely to be an active participant in their children's lives rather than sitting on the sidelines because they have a chubby belly or orange peel textured thighs.

isn't this how our daughters have developed these hyper-exaggerated needs to look like super models all the bloody time? isn't it part of why they are not happy with their bodies? because we model that for them with our own insecurities? isn't it time we decided to throw all that beauty-biz hogwash away and realize that we have as much right to live life to the fullest no matter what we look like??? isn't it time we learn that life is too short to not love ourselves?

enough ranting. love yourself. and those around you will learn from it.

peace.