Dear Body,
When you were only 8 years old, you were labelled 'fat'. You didn't fully understand what that even meant at the time, but soon realised it meant being pointed at by kids in your school while they laughed at you.
When you were 10, you were covered in XL t-shirts when you went to the playground.
When you were 13, the boy you had a crush on, along with his friends, laughed at you. How dare you, fat and insignificant, harbour feelings for a boy so good-looking and popular? The horror of it all!
When you were 14, you stopped eating your lunches in school. You simply gave them away to a friend. Food was the enemy.
When you were 15, you were thin. And suddenly, you were valid.
When you were 16, boys started telling you they had crushes on you. The same boys who laughed at you 3 years ago.
When you were 17, you started cinching your belt tighter. That kept the hunger away.
When you were 19, you read an article that said smoking made you thin. You bought a whole pack the very same day.
When you were 20, people wouldn't believe you were a dancer's body, because you "didn't look like it".
When you were 28, you got sick. Really sick. And the weight came back. It made me hate you again.
When you were 30, you were tired and depressed. You hated everything. And I still hated you.
When you were 31, a group of 250 people online helped you feel better about yourself. And a genius doctor helped cure you. You found freedom in a 1-inch scar.
And when you turned 32, I finally hugged you and told you I loved you.
This is beautiful! As a persona trainer I see and feel (only some of) the emotional and mental pain people suffer through in relation to body image...
Stay strong and all the best!
Thank you, @harrynewman! Appreciate the support :) Yes, the pain can be so debilitating on some days, that I just want to give up and hide in my room. But then some sort of inner fire starts glowing and gets me going. Here's hoping that fire doesn't quit on me!
That fire is your spirit, your faith, your belief that you can always improve in life. I know it will not quite on you!
Beautifully written! More people should read this and understand the depth of what you are saying!
Thanks so much, @firepower. I hope the people who need to emotional support can someday find my posts. Having been through it all myself, I would love to speed up someone else's journey to feeling happy in their own bodies.
I'm sure many will find it useful. Many people feel very insecure about these things and weigh themselves down when in fact they shouldnt be doing that!
It has been shared on FB as well: https://www.facebook.com/steemitindia/posts/251223355372986
If possible, fb page like maadi :D
Thanks, @firepower! Heading over to the FB page now :-D
That was very well written. I've been through that phase (some of it). I can totally relate to that. Keep on fighting !! :)
Thanks, @rahul516! I'll keep trying :)