*Originally posted April 16, 2008
Anna: “What’s this?”
Mommy: “A scale. It tells you how much you weigh. Do you wanna stand on it?”
Anna: “No.”
Mommy: “Me either.”
I can somewhat understand the weight obsession….just not fully. Granted, I have a pair of jeans, you know, the “skinny jeans” that help me gauge my body. Fact: I haven’t worn those jeans in 2 years; at least, not without muffin top. Fact: I don’t care.
So, why am I still holding onto a pair of “skinny jeans” that I know I will never wear again without a multiple series of stomach flus? I really don’t know. What I do know is that we live in a day where women and even some men (just not mine) are obsessed with their bodies to a detriment. For real.
I usually pack a “Lunchable” for my pre-schooler. Due to the number of his peers with peanut allergies, the classic PB&J is a no-no. So, a “Lunchable” it is. The other day, John Henry informed that his friend does “not each ‘Lunchables’,” because her mom says “they make you fat.” She is five. I am appalled.
Nonetheless, poor body image has become quite the epidemic, and it truly disheartens me. I strive really hard to never discuss weight issues around Anna. I want her to grow up with a healthy self-image, believing who God says she is, not society.
I also try really hard not to discuss weight issues around Kris. Once when we went skiing, I wore my mom’s vintage ski bib circa 1982. I asked Kris the age old question, “How does my butt look?” My husband, whom I love dearly, replied, “Good. Wide, but good.” Yes, in my mind I envisioned hurling his body across the room. Fortunately, for him, I remembered that he doesn’t always think things through before he speaks. I love him still. And, he hasn’t used “wide” and “butt” in the same sentence again.
I love the Psalm 139:14 scripture, “I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.” But, I especially love this NLT translation: “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous – how well I know it.”
So, when in doubt, remember: you look mah-velous.
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