I have always been someone that has always accepted and appreciated the way I look irrespective of what others think; however, there was a time some set of people almost made me feel intimidated because of how slim I was. The constant comments about my slim build started to take a toll on my confidence. I remember meeting different people on different occasions telling me, You need to take supplements to gain weight. Even though some of them were just concerned for me, beneath those constant words lay a subtle message that kept ringing in my head: you are not enough the way you are. The body shaming continued, and it took many forms.
There was a time someone saw my picture on Facebook and asked if I was sick. I once dated a guy who told me he wouldn't marry me because he wasn't sure I was going to be able to carry a baby, as if my body were incapable of performing its natural functions. The body shaming was too much for me to bear; there were times I would wonder if there was something fundamentally wrong with being slim because this set of people made it look like being slim was a sin or a crime. Probably at that time, maybe I would have attempted to take those supplements, but because of how I distaste anything that looks like medicine, I didn't give in to them.
I can't remember when, how, or why; I just remembered that something shifted in me. I started having this consciousness of who I am. I realized that people's opinions about me didn't really matter, neither did it define my worth, and that I was beautifully and wonderfully made; this new mindset became a turning point for me.
As I began to accept and love myself, I started noticing significant changes within me. I stopped caring what others think of me and started focusing on me and self-worth. I came to a realization that regardless of shape or size, my body is strong and capable.
One thing I have come to realize about some people is that they will always body shame people regardless of how the person looks. After I became a mom, I added more weight, and there are this set of people that say they prefer my slim body, but I have learned to ignore the noise and focus on what truly matters鈥攎y own happiness and well-being.
This is me responding to the prompt posted by
@galenkp, you can check it Here
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