What gives us the right?

What gives us the right to judge others?

"Your eyebrows need shaping."

"You have gray hairs."

"You're wearing THAT today??"

Would you go up to an obese person and inform them they're fat?

How about a person in a wheelchair? What would you say to them?

Pick up any magazine out there, and what do you see?

"30 minutes to a slimmer stomach!"

"Get arms to die for!"

Etc.

Not all, but most.

And we wonder why girls as young as 8 have eating disorders.

A friend once told me: "Who wants a girl you're afraid of breaking?"

True.

This?



Or this?



How about this?



Because what does it MATTER what a girls (or guys) body looks like?? Do they make you smile? Make you laugh? Take you to Twins games? (kidding. or not.)

If someone is beautiful on the inside, it'll shine through to the outside, no matter what the outside looks like.

I'm 37 years old.

Some days I have the insecurities of a 13 year old. I look in the mirror and want to smash it.

"You're fat." my brain says.

"You have big thighs."

"Look at those stretch marks!"

"My smile is crooked."

I've spent literally years being very unhappy with myself. I won't completely blame someone else for my low self esteem, but he played a huge part in it.

Telling me I was worthless.

Lazy.

Selfish.

A bitch.

Not deserving a night out because I didn't work. (staying home with 3 kids is easy. obviously.)

"No one can make you feel inferior without your consent." - Eleanor Roosevelt

I wish I would have listened to that a LONG time ago. It's possible that I wouldn't be who I am now.

Strong.

Independent.

A fighter.



It takes a lot of positive self talk, and seeing that other person continue to fall apart after you've gone to make you see that it's actually NOT you. But rather, him.

I'm outgoing.

Caring.

Loving.

Funny.

I make a mean dipped cone.

And I can build a Lego house like nobody's business.

I'll kick your ass if I need to, but also tell you that I love you, because no one should ever go a day without hearing those words from someone.

I don't tell you this stuff to gain your pity. Just the opposite, in fact. I know there are tons of you who have felt like this too. Maybe you still do.

It wasn't too long ago that I would think to myself, "I'm in my THIRTIES. Shouldn't I be past this stuff by now?" Not necessarily. Just because you're older, doesn't mean you're going to like everything all the time. And not everyone is going to like you all of the time.

What matters is if you like yourself.



^ that's one of my eyebrows that needs shaping. Which I didn't realize affected your lives that much. #imsorry

There's a guy I know. We go out.

There's an age difference.

We've had our ups and downs. Sometimes more downs than I care to admit.

What matters the most though is who I am when I'm with him. I like that me.

I'm going to let go of the old Tina.

And embrace the new one.