I Heart My Body. I Do.

I was a thin teenager.

I never had body issues when I was younger, I knew I had a great body and when I could, I would show it off.

I am an over weight adult and normally you won't find me appreciating my body or even treating it well if I'm painfully honest.

For such a long time I've carried around the very heavy feeling of failure because of my body.

My infertility is partly because of my weight. My weight is because my infertiltiy. Rach wrote an amazing post about the punishment she put her body though because of her infertility and the cycle continuing.

I found myself nodding my head so violently I was resembling one of those bobble head toys.

My body has betrayed me. I have betrayed my body and really myself.

I've spend most of my marriage hiding my body from my husband and really being baffled as to how and why he's attracted to me.

Fact is, he thinks i'm beautiful (and I feel MEGA uncomfortable even writing that) and instead of spending my time arguing with him why he shouldn't think i'm beautiful i'm going to stop.

I'm going to take the compliment and feel beautiful.

Even if it's only for a day.

I can't remember ever posting a full length photo of me on Life of The Bees because i'm so body conscious.

I'm convinced that you won't like me anymore when you see my body because well, if I don't like me, why would anyone else.

Yes.

I'm overweight.

Yes.

I have tuck shop arms.

Yes.

I have stretch marks.

Yes.

I have a double chin.

Yes.

There are days when I look at myself in the mirror and I don't like what I see.

Yes.

There are times when I bully myself about my weight.

BUT

Today I can see something different.

I have beautiful tattoos on my body that I love and mean so much to me.

My Tool eye and my APC tattoo. The music that I LIVE to listen to.

My fairy. My husbands name. My tribal heart. It's sharp and spiky and signifies to me that once you get past the spiky bits, my heart is big. My saint on my ankle. The same as my dads.

My smile is big and real.

I have never had braces or any dental work other than a wisdom tooth pulled out and ONE filling.

My boobs are HUGE and although they get in the way sometimes and make running difficult to do without a heavy duty sports bra and some duct tape, I love how they look in a good bra. I've always had bigish boobs even when I was a skinny minny.

I love my shoulders.

I love my hair (especially as it's growing so long now!)

I love my glasses. Although they aren't a part of my body, they are a part of ME (and without them I can hardly see anything)

I love my laughter lines. Not only are they a reminder that I am getting older but that I have had a lot of laughter in my life and I wouldn't trade anyone of them.

Tomorrow We Heart Life is celebrating I Heart My Body 2011.

A chance to love your body.

For what is.

Not what it could be and what it isn't.

I would love to see you all participate, you don't have to pose in your underwear like some very beautiful and very brave ladies, you can be fully clothed and just as gorgeous.