There are days when I feel good about my body; others where I feel like a blubber-stuffed elephant. Throughout my life, I’ve heard women of all sizes proclaim their issues with their body, their figure, particularly their weight. It seems so many of us have an ideal, an image of what we should be rather than embracing who we are. Having people around you who love & support you only helps so much because this isn’t an external battle, despite the outer issue; it’s an internal one.
I’ve struggled with my weight since my mother’s death when I was 8. The harder life hit me, the more weight I gained. Now I have medical conditions that make that weight more difficult to lose, and given that we live in such an image-driven society, it’s hard to find solace, to find happiness in the size I am. The size we should be (supermodel 0) is what’s pounded into our brains all the time. Did you know the average female celebrity in Hollywood wears a size 2. You’re getting a bit chunky by a size 6, and you’re obese according to most rag mags by the time you’re a 12, which is a whole dress size less than the national average of a 14 for women.
When & how did we get to this point where we question our figure, doubt our beauty? When did self-confidence in elementary-aged girls come about? I about died when my daughter mentioned her name & fat in the same sentence at the tender age of 6. I was flabbergasted because she wasn’t even wearing size 6 clothes by that point.
It’s the culmination of my personal journey, my personal struggles, plus that of all the other wonderful plus-size women on this planet, that has driven me to write a line of adult romance books featuring only plus-size heroines, and also why I try to include women of all sizes in my books. Somehow, some way, we need to empower ourselves again. No woman should ever become a shell of a person because she gained (or lost) weight. No woman should ever be ashamed of her body, regardless of the number on the scale or the tag of her pants. We are all beautiful. Maybe, like me, you don’t believe that some days, but you ought to.
I’m starting small. Rather than trying to accept myself, my body, all at once, I’m focusing on loving & accepting a new part of myself every day. For instance, my eyes appear dark brown at first glance, but if you take the time to peer at them, honey streaks are present, adding depth & character to them… That’s exactly how it is with me. At first glance, one might see just an overweight woman, but keep looking, keep watching & you will see the depth of my character; learn that I am far more than I appear to be.
Which brings me to my newest contest. Either on my personal facebook page, the fan facebook page, my twitter or right here on this website, post at least one thing that you love about your body. Don’t just state ‘eyes.’ Tell me what it is you love about that part of you. Make me fall in love with that feature; help yourself get one step closer to loving your whole body. The contest will be running until March 31st. I will be choosing only 1 winner, and that person will receive an Amazon Kindle or Barnes & Noble Nook. It will be the winner’s choice. So pull out your mirror & try to find 1 thing you like about every square inch of you. Because you are beautiful. Everyone’s definition of that word is different, and I’m challenging you to define it with yourself. Beauty isn’t perfection; it’s perspective.
Now go positively change your perspective on yourself while I work on catching up with everyone & everything. I’m so far behind!
Have a great day. Smile!
~Christin
P.S. Check back this Saturday, March 3rd, for a new excerpt from book 4 🙂
christinwrites.com 
What I love about my body is………
Every mark and imperfection. I’m a girl who is a size 18/20 in pants and large tops because lets face it ever since my boobs began growing it was like they started out at a C or higher.
I have freckles and stretch marks from my weight and every time I see them I look past the beauty imperfections and realize they have character. The skin that sags on my stomach is due to my on going ups and downs with weight. Slowly its going down lower and lower and I feel proud. But it also tells a story for me. I was once pregnant with twins and miscarried at 12 weeks. In that time my belly got bloated and that is one reason that the pooch is still there. However I am not sad to have that left over pooch, because for 12 weeks I got to experience all the feelings a pregnancy could offer and I got to grow and learn. Sometimes its hard to have that daily reminder, but then I remember:
my past is part of who I became today.
I love that you are such a strong woman and have embraced the positive of every negative! Thank you! 🙂
My eyes are hazel…they are green around my pupil and blue around the edges. They appear dark inside a building but once sunlight hits them they seem to sparkle and they become bright with delight. I love how they change colors to match my outfit. I also love how they light up when I smile or when I see the person I love. My eyes seem to have I mind of their own. I love everything about my eyes.
My hair is long, curly and brown. I love how it forms to my face effortlessly and the way my hair bounces when I walk.
I love my every imperfection that makes me, me. My imperfections shows what I have gone through in my life.
I love my girlish curves that shape my 16/18 size frame.
my thighs that shapes my long legs. My butt that adds to my curves and yes I have stretch marks but that is just me. I also went through surgery yesterday and now I have 5 puncture wounds that shows the journey of pain I had to suffer through but now as I heal I remember that now I don’t have to deal with pain. As I will wake up and see every morning these 5 scars I will remember that part of my life.
I hope you are healing well! Take care of that beautiful body 🙂
They sound beautiful!
I had braces at a really young age (8 years old) and I had these braces until I turned 16. Those 9 years were filled with tears,which led to over eating. I was contantly bullied, they’d beat me up at school and tease me for not only having braces but also for being a redhead and soon it lead to being referred to as a cow. Growing up I’d always wanted to dye my hair black or brown and my mom refused. She’d tell me “people would kill for your hair color,” and I heard it all the time from adults but I don’t think they realized how much torment I had to go through on a daily basis because of it. I am now a 22 year old mom of 2 and my youngest has the same hair color as I do and after hearing all these bully stories about kids getting picked on and beat up because of their hair color. I worry about what he’s going to have to deal with on a daily basis. I have taught both my boys who are of different ethnicities (one being half hawaiin and the other being Irish) that it is ok to be different. My oldest now sticks up for kids who are constantly getting bullied and cant stick up for themselves.
The thing that I love most about myself is my million dollar smile and my amazingly bright red hair. Even though I went through all that torment I wouldn’t change any of it; I am the strong and independant mom and army wife that I am today. I don’t think I’d be as strong or independant if I didn’t go through all the crap I did!
You sound like an amazing woman! I’m so glad you have finally come full circle to acceptance, and your son sounds like a wonderful little boy! He’s a true testament to you as a person and a mother. Be proud of all you’ve survived, accomplished and inspired 🙂
My favorite part of my body is…..
My tummy. The reason why is becuase ever since i’ve met my husband he has been totally obsessed with my stomach, even though its been getting bigger and thinner with every failed diet attempts i’ve had over the years. I am a size 20/22 in jean size right now because i’ve been losing weight recently, but i’ve gotten as big as a 26/28 jean size. And even though i never really understood at first why my husband has loved my tummy so much through the years, he has helped me to love myself in every way by saying how beautiful i am and not even thinking about me losing weight as a thing for me to do to look good, but as a thing he wants me to do because he wants me to be healthy and happy with myself in every way, just like he does every day. So my tummy is my favorite part of me becuase even though its changed with the rest of me back and forth its been the one constant thing thats braught me back to reality when i feel fat because my husband always kisses me there and hugs me tight with his bare tummy to mine lol and with that he always makes me feel special and sexy no matter what my pant size. =)
He sounds amazing! You now love a part of yourself most women hate, and I love your take on it! It has me looking at my mid-section differently already 🙂
I love a lot of things but the thing i love most is i have 2 moles on my neck that look like vampire marks, but that’s not why i love them. I love them because my Grandma had the same two on her neck expect on the other side.I also love my little bump in my nose that my Dad had. So every time I look at them they remind me of a special person that i wish was still with me!!! I also love a freckle on my shoulder that is in a shape of a heart so i say ” I wear my heart on my shoulder” instead on my sleeve!! I also love the shape of my body i wear 14/16 and a big but and thighs i LOVE my curves!!
I love that you can see and appreciate where you came from, who you came from! And I’m absolutely jealous of your heart-shaped freckle. I love it! 🙂
i have a picture of it if u want to see it
That would be awesome! 🙂
I love my chocolate brown eyes that seem to sparkle and glimmer when I am excited, seem to get dull when I am upset, seem to have fire inside them when I am angry,and seem to Match my thick chocolate brown hair(another trait I love!), and I love the mole on my chin that matches my eyes and hair, and sometimes I hate that mole too, I love this weird red dot near my right eye that has little lines sticking out of it, its kinda been there for as long as can remember. 🙂 I love how I get so tan and how I am so mature, and understand love and the “problems” in Michigan. I love my face and my figure. I am skinny and chubby, I just to do sit-ups to fix the chubby ( that will never happen! ) I love me, life, friends, and family.
That is one thing I need to work on: my tan. And don’t worry about the sit-ups if you’re happy with the way you are 🙂
Haha, I.cant bring myself 2 do the sit ups, I like to say I am too busy, but really I am 2 lazy……. Haha! I’ve never admitted that!
lol I’m not a huge fan of sit ups either. You are definitely not alone there!
Sometimes I think I am. But, what ever, I am who I am. 🙂
What I love about my body……
There are many things that I love about my body. Although I haven’t always loved them, now I realize what character and strength that they give me. My body makes me who I am. I have realized that I am happy with my curves, despite what people may say about losing weight I am okay being the size that I am. The thing I love most about being this big is my figure. Though there may be some extra chunkiness to it than most but I love it. I have embraced my figure, I have learned that some days I may have a muffin top, look like a pear, have a double chin, chubby arms, chunky legs, or apple sized cheeks. But being this way makes me the person I am. People have begin to notice too and are starting to know me by my bubbly exciting personality than what my body image is. I like being confident about my body, it shows the world that I am okay being big. To me your body doesn’t determine if your pretty it is your personality. In my eyes I am the most beautiful person to live. I am not going to let my weight hold me back from doing things. I am not going to sit on the sidelines and watch life go by. I am going to live my life by the things that I think will be fun to do and not let anyone bring me down. To me being this size just means there is a lot more to live for. I love how my legs are not little twigs, they are more like the trunk of the tree that hold it up and supports the whole tree. I love how my belly is not completely flat, I love how it curves in all the right places and jiggles when I giggle. I love my chest how its like the rest of my body over sized, what woman would complain?!?! I love how my arms are not scrawny abnormal looking limbs, but that of a strong branch that can give love in many ways. I love how my face is defined by plumpness, that holds a well defined nose and eyes that can be as blue as the ocean or as grey as storm clouds. I love being pleasantly plump and unique all over. (:
I love your attitude! And amen on your descriptions! I love it all!
I have always loved who I am and what I am blessed for… I’m thirteen and I cant say that I’m skinny or average, because I’m not… saying that I love who I am still doesn’t hide the fact that I still have those days when I feel like I’m the whale swimming with a bunch of goldfish.. but then I look in the mirror and i realize all my beauty… I’m far from perfect and I’m not going to lie.. because if I had a chance to make a wish to change something about myself I would literally jump at the opportunity.. who wouldn’t? But there is one thing that I would NEVER change and that is my hair.. I absoulutely love my hair, and so does..everyone else that sees it… I have dark brown hair that curls in tight ringlets around my shoulders and if I had a dime for everytime someone comes up to me and grabs my curls and says ” boing”… I would honestly be filthy rich… lol … And even though curly hair can be a pain in the butt, I still love it!!! So who cares if we have a little meat around our bones?! Ladies… please don’t go and change yourself to please someone, because if they really loved you… they would want you exactly for who you are… for every scar, blemish, and little hair out of place, and even the careless little mistakes you make …. ;D
I love curly hair 🙂 And AMEN! Never change who you are for someone else!
I’ve always struggled with my weight, but one thing about me that always seems to light up a room is my smile. No matter what life throws at me, I know I can always make myself feel better by wearing a smile. It is one constant compliment in my life and I find happiness in knowing my smile will never change.
That is very true! My mother-in-law always says, (talking about my baby) “When Roman smiles, the world is at peace. Everything is okay, no matter what chaos is surrounding me.” A smile can make a big difference. It can turn someone’s day around in a split second, including your own.
Is weird as it may sound-I love the scars on my body. I feel like they tell my story. I have a huge (HUGE) scar on my belly (and I’m 5’1 size 16/18) I was pregnant and lost a baby due to an eptopic pregnancy. I lost a tube and have an overy detached just floating around. I was told I may never get pregnant and that it would be very very hard! 8 months ago I had a C-section in that very same scar to birth my beautiful son! Every scar and stretchmark on my body tells a bit about me, how i’ve gown. The battle I’ve had all my life with my weight.
What an amazing story! Congratulations on your beautiful baby boy! 🙂
What I love about my body….
I love my curves! Before I got pregnant, I was a size 5, 120lbs. I still thought I needed to lose weight in spots. Then I got pregnant. The day my son was born, I weighed in at 195lbs. I barely noticed because I felt beautiful(effects of pregnancy). He was born in June, so I went on lots of walks with him, dropping down to 160lbs. He is now 2 and I am still that weight. It took me awhile to accept myself when my 11 yr old stepdaughter started wearing my pre-pregnancy jeans. She’s my height already, but I couldn’t believe I was that small. Depressing. I finally let go of what the scale said and looked at myself. My body is beautiful! My skin is so smoothe and so are my curves! I am just a bigger version of myself. I love me! Being a certain weight doesn’t determine how sexy you are, you do;D
Exactly! I LOVE that last line! Embrace every curve, large or small.
I just posted above;D
I accidently posted on your release page..ugh! Embarrassing!
You are my new hero. I just read curvacious and lovedit. Then I read ypur coment above. Im 5,7 300 lbs and find it very hard to find anything to love. I do however love my eyess. At first glance there hazel. But they actualy look like a sunflower surounded by a blue sky. Someday I will find a man that sees that and he will be the one. I can’t wait to read more of your thoughts insights and stories. Very sincery tersa luna on facebook luvbug
Your eyes sound beautiful! It’s the perfect time of year to appreciate them too since it’s the beginning of spring. Now keep building! I know the is a lot more beautiful on you than just your eyes. And you will absolutely find a man who appreciates the whole package, excess sexiness and all! (Glad you liked the book) 🙂
Afew years ago , when I was 6 i had a oparation and i put on about 20kg.I dident have a lot of friends because of my size. At that time my mum and dad had been split for 5 years but every time i saw him, he would call me fat. I havent seen him for about 3 years. I used to get so upset so i wouldent eat and i lost so much weight that I had loss of fibre in my body so i had to get fibre ejected into my body up untill about 2 years ago. I am now 13 and love my body. I exisise everyday and eat full meals.My best friend is now being teased for her weight even though she is only 50kg. But she dosent let bullies get to her… i wish I had her when i was young. Its not important about how you look on the outside its whats on the inside. There is beauty within everyone. The people are are ugly on the inside are the ones who choose to bury and neglect there innerbeauty and beauty of others.
The eyes are the windows to the soul. I lovge my eyes. I love the shape and colour ( crystle blue when im sad, Electrec when im happy and dark when im Mad)
Ps. Christin i love your books so much and carnt wait till book 4 of DOVP.
Congratulations for finding the inner strength to persevere! I’m so proud of you! You’re right too. It will always be what’s on the inside that counts, at least to the people that matter 🙂
I believe that every single woman at one point has had insecurities about their bodies or face or anything about their arms ,legs,fingers,toes,eyes,moles or anything of that sort. I use to be just like them all im not going to write about how i gained weight it happened because it was destined too.everyone has always told me losing weight was necessary i have always been on edge about my weight and weight has always been a really touchy subject for me i hated when people would mention my weight and how i could lose a couple of pounds in the long run i have now come to embrace it i have learned to accept myself the way i am and i love it i love myself every single imperfection every single thing that people say is wrong with me i love i have come to not listen to anything bad people say about me instead i laugh it out and ignore it i love me every part of me because that makes me who i am today and i would never change anything about myself because that’s me like me or not that’s what your gonna get and that’s that and i truly want to thank you for once your books are amazing and I’m more than sure that they have helped women all over the world thanks alot Christin.
with all my love , ATeenagerThatAbsolutleyLovesYourBooksAndBlogAsWell<3
Everyone has an opinion when it comes to appearance, which is why beauty will always be in the eyes of the beholder. It’s about having the courage to keep your chin up, regardless of what their opinion is, and it sounds like you’ve mastered that, which is AWESOME!
thanks and well can’t wait for book four of the vampeen series and absolutely love the new book covers and once again your amazing! 🙂 thanks sooo much!
Thank you ! 🙂
oh and just wondering do u have a release date for the fourth book yet?
Unfortunately, I’m still working on book four. I promise to let everyone know as soon as it’s sent to the editor. A solid release date is about a week from then.
I love my nose. People always used to say that it looked like a pigs nose but I would try not to let it get to me. Once at a party a girl crossed out my name on a banner made for the birthday girl and wrote “piggy nose” in place of my name. Not only that but she stole my phone and replaced the banner on the wallpaper with the word “piggy”. I thought I was going to start crying. It took her a whole year to apologize, but I forgave her and now there are no hard feelings between us. Now when I walk around I hold my head high not caring what people think of me. It’s all just superficial stuff that people say to make themselves feel better anyway.
Sadly, I’ve found that last line to be accurate. Everyone has insecurities and wants to feel better about themselves, but you shouldn’t step on another person in order to boost yourself. I’m glad you’ve come full circle in forgiving the girl and accepting your nose for what it is: a beautiful and unique part of you 🙂
I love my legs and feet because they are perfect for me. Im a dancer and they reasure me that I can keep on going. I may have a few stretch marks here and there but in the long run I feel like I am beautiful in my own way. There are those days when I feel like ‘bumming it’, as Lexi and Mel would say, but I get back on my feet and keep working to make myself feel better.
I love my eyes because they may be extremely dark brown but its where all of my emotions stay. I hide behind this wall so people won’t know what I’m feeling but I know you could probably see it in my eyes that I’m emotionally driven. My long, curled eyelashes surround the dark brown pupil like a blanket of sweetness.
I love my butt because it’s perfectly shaped and looks awesome in skinny jeans :). I feel confident enough not to hide it behind baggy sweats.
And finally, I love my lips because they are big but not overwhelming. They look amazing and with the right moisturizing they are really soft.
I may not have the perfect supermodel body but who really wants that? When you look at it it’s actually scary to have eating disorders or be underweight. I intend to stay my size with the exeption of getting taller and fuller over the years. I like myself enough not to starve myself to death. I’m beautiful me. That’s all I want.
You sound beautiful, and I love your perspective on yourself. Definitely keep dancing!
My favorite part about my body is my whole face yes I have pimples and glasses and a crooked smile but that is what makes me perfectly IMPERFECT :)😜😊
We all have imperfections, but when we embrace them, they somehow morph into unique attributes. Plus, the word imperfect is flawed. Break it down and it says: I’m Perfect 🙂
I hate to be cliche, but I would also have to go with my eyes. I get them from my dad’s side of the family and they are heavily dominant…even beating out the Italian genes of my mother’s brown eyes LOL! They are hazel and look green or blue depending on the day, and every natural born member of my family has them, every one! It is my one characteristic that I get compliments on all the time (well, my boobs too but we gotta keep it PG LOL!)
Wow! lol Those are some powerful genes! When I was younger, I always wanted green or blue eyes. They’re beautiful.
My shoulders– they are broad and strong. Lot’s of people always think I’m a guy because of this not to mention I’m almost 6 ft. I love them cuz they hold my head high and give me the feel of confidence even when I’m not so sure about things. They also make any neckline on a top look awesome. But these shoulders hold on to a pretty intelligent and sassy head that knows that God gave me what I needed to succeed on this grand earth. It takes all quite a journey to get to the place of feeling good about ourselves and what we have to offer to the world. Sometimes we need little reminders that we truly do have something to offer no matter how small it seems.
And you Miss Christin were given some amazing literary talent!!!!!!!!!!
Thank you, and congrats on having great shoulders! Mothers always say, “Shoulders back and head up.” Shoulders are the physical foundation of confidence in my book. I love that you’ve embraced them.
Love your Vampeen series and the new book covers!!! I CANNOT wait until March 18! I am buying the book IMMEDIATELY! Hurry, hurry, hurry, March 18!!!!!
Furthermore…I cannot express to you in words, how happy I am to have read your writ on women’s figures…I won’t elaborate or you’ll have a horribly long and uncomfortable fan comment. Please just know that this fan is so happy to not be alone in the struggle against societal and relationship weight expectations. Please don’t ever lose your spark…we need more people with your REALISTIC and WELCOMING mindset. XD
Thank you! Women are beautiful, regardless of the number on the scale 🙂
Christin,
First, congratulations on coming up with such a creative twist on a genre being o rerun with copycats. As a lifelong voracious reader, I truly thank you.
In answer to your question, (not too concerned with contests) , I’ve had to really reevaluate what I meant to me, and am still very much in that process everyday, after becoming disabled at 34, (38 now) due to medications from my childhood. I lost my looks, my ability to walk, and many days are a challenge. I found that going from super independent single mom of three, to someone who lost pretty much everything I valued, work, friends, my lifestyle, all but my kids, was almost enough to cause me to just give up. Then not long ago, a young woman, one of many I mentored, called me to tell me she had lost her virginity at 22, and how grateful she was that I had emphasized for so many years that if its real, it is worth waiting for. I learned, my value didn’t lie in paying my bills, raising my own wonderful kids, or even my inability to cook dinner for my amazing fiance of a few years now. My value came from having hard roads, making some bad choices, and putting away my ego so I could tell the young people I seem to attract, of my own lessons, so I could show them how I finally found my value, and in doing so help them make better choices that honored their value in this world. I am proud that even though this life was not the one I worked for, planned for and hoped for, that I could step back and find the value in being able to persevere and the humility I needed to be completely honest with them. Because when it is all said and done, there is not one aspect of our physical being that truly stays… the most beautiful thing that can be said of any of us is that we love. With passions, sometimes anger, sometimes confusion, but it always comes back to that. Beauty can change in the blink of an eye, but loving your inside is truly the greatest treasure I have ever found…sorry for rambling, lol. On nights when Sleep is run off by Pain, it helps to write… thanks for making me think tonight.. in more ways than one;)
Blessed be,
Becky
I love your take on things, Becky! From the sounds of it, I would say you have a great life story turned novel inside you. I love your appreciation, the way you embrace what you can do. You’ve discovered the beauty within you, and that will always spill over onto the outside. Continue to inspire the greatness that you are!
What I love about my body….it isn’t an outer appearance that I love. What I love is my inner strength to move on everyday. I can’t say I’ve had an easy life, nor can I say it’s been the worst that anyone has gone thru. It all started when I was 6 years old when my dad died of a rare form of lung cancer. Even tho I was only 6, I still remember the day my mom came home and told me and my sister the horrible news. After that life seemed pretty normal. I was 14 when another tidal wave hit. My mom was diagnosed with COPD. She would have to be on oxygen 24/7. My mom was so weak she couldn’t do the simplest tasks like bathe or use the restroom by herself. I took on the role of taking care of her on top of school. She didn’t want me to take care of her and she was embarrassed, but I told her that she took care of me all of these years, that I WAS going to help her and I didn’t care at all. I would sit and brush her hair and rub her back everynight. I didn’t go out with friends, go on dates, do the typical teenager stuff because I wanted to be with my mom. That went on for 3 years until January 3, 2000. That was the day my mom died. She couldnt breathe and I forced her to go to the hospital. She was scared because she was afraid she’d die in the same hospital my dad did. But I told her she would be fine. The doctors wouldn’t let me or my sister be in the room while they were with her. We were down the hall when I heard my mom scream. I looked at my sister and took off down the hall. I stopped in the doorway of her room and looked at my frightened mom. The lady who was always so strong, was so frightened. She looked at me in the door way and locked eyed with me, and became so calm. The nurse looked over to see what my mom was staring at and saw me there, she walked over and shut the door on me. That was at 3:30am, my mom died at 3:36am. I’ll always carry that with me that I saw her in the final moments of her life and she knew i was there. My sister is 2 years older than me and was in her freshman year of college. So a week after moms funeral, she went back to college. I was only a junior in high school, worked at the local animal hospital, a cheerleader and in band. I had to bump my hours at work to cover bills and groceries. My weekends were filled with chores around the house and tending to my horses (3). My “friends” tried to get me to have parties and use my house basically as a Boose filled sex house. I nixed that immediately and those girls who I’d known since freshman year acted like I was scum and treated me as an outcast. Except for my bestie Sarah. She was at my house everyday literally shoving food down my throat and forcing me out of bed. She was my rock when I needed it the most, not my sister, she wasn’t there. I put myself thru college and finished high school in the top 10 of my class. I was presented with a plaque at graduation for representing the definition of bravery and stron heart.
In college is when I met my husband. We met on a blind date just like my parents. Mike came along when I was at rock bottom. I felt like I couldn’t go on with life anymore. My sister took every dime my mom left us and she didn’t have a care in the world, while I was scraping together to live and go to school. Mike picked me back up and saved my life. I feel like my parents sent him to me. He gave me a backbone to stand up to my sister and cal her out for all the wrong things she did to me. We were married 3 years when the doctors told me I had severe endometriosis and i only had a 25% chance to get pregnant and every year we didn’t get pregnant that chance of getting pregnant would decrease 25 more percent. We tried and got pregnant in 4 days. We were over the moon excited. She was born a healthy 7 lbs and feisty. We knew we wanted more kids so 4 mo after Kinsley was born, we tried for number 2 knowing our chances were slim. But lo-and-behold we got pregnant with Chesney! She was born 12 months and 3 weeks after we had Kinsley. I felt like everything was going to be ok.
Until the day I got fired from my job. When I say fored, I mean set up to get fired bc I caught my manager having an affair with a member on the board of trustees. They knew I knew but didn’t say anything, so they set me up and got me fired. I fought it, filed a grievance and it was a brutal year before my arbitration. We went to arbitration and I won. A year to the day I got fired, I got the call I won and got my job back (a different department of course)! I vowed never to put my family thru that hell again. It was a rough year, telling my baby girls that they couldn’t get that at the store, or that we’d have to glue their shoes together to make it thru another month. I’ve been thru so much & I wouldn’t trade any of it. Because if it didn’t happen, I wouldn’t be the strong independent woman that I am today. You don’t have to be perfect to love yourself. I love myself for the hard journey I’ve been through but managed to come out of the fire, unscathed and stronger than ever. I look at my body and see the imperfections, but see through them to see the woman my mom and dad raised me to be, and that makes me feel the most beautiful. I will raise my daughters to be that way as well and to love themselves no matter what. I hope you all hug your families a little tighter, because I know I do and feel absolutely blessed that they came to me to make me whole again.
Hi Erin,
I hope you received the Kindle Touch. Just wanted to say that I’m so proud of you for all you’ve overcome! Continue to embrace your strength and beauty every day. I know from several comments and e-mails that your story touched many people. You’re an inspiration; a powerful woman who can achieve anything she sets her mind to! Continue to make the most of your life. Where one door closes, another always opens 🙂
Thanks for being so brave.
~Christin
What I like about my body is that I can wear anything. I would never have to worry about being skinny and see that some clothes don’t fit on me. Even though I am a size 8 In pants i have always been struggling with weight. I even found someone who loves me for who I am and I know he would never want to change me. I know I’m only13 but I believe that he is my one and only true love. This is why I love my body. Every girl who thinks that they are to big or even to skinny just look a little deeper and you will find that there is nothing wrong with you. Just understand that you are beautiful just the way you are. You are made the way you are for a reason. So don’t go changing for someone else. And never let anyone say something is wrong with you because every one is pretty you just got to look deeper. 🙂
Congratulations on finding someone who loves and treasures you just the way you are. I also love your perspective on things! Never lose your glorious view. We all are beautiful; some are just more apparent than others. 🙂
I like my lips because they are a very pink but not barbie pink a hush but noticable type of pink. They are a little pouty but not too much. They are the same size both top and bottom though my bottom lip is still a tiny bit fuller than the top. That is my most favorite body part.
I love it! Embrace your pretty pink lips 🙂
My favorite part of my body: that’s definitely a hard one to think about. I love my body but have struggled with being a full-size curvy babe. After thinking long and hard about it I’ve decided that my stretchmarks are the part I love the most. I have two beautiful amazing children, my daughter Heather is 12 and my son Joshua is 11 (well he will be Saturday). My stretchmarks are my marks of valor, my proof that I carried these two amazing children in my body, that I nourished and grew them until itwas time for them to meet the world. And watching them grow, learn, and become the great kids they are so far has been wonderful for me.
I love that you write about all different size women. Especially given the fact that my daughter has started reading DOAV, our young women need more women like you showing them that every size is beautiful.
Thanks for your entry, Cassandra. I know I already told you, but I love that you embodied this contest. Every one has good days and bad, just remember on the bad to look for that something beautiful, which I know you have plenty of. Never allow size to define you; never allow society to define you. Only allow you to define you. And regardless of your final definition, it should always include the word beautiful 🙂
A lot of people r talkin tummy talk but I don’t have to complain. Honestly I have nothin specific that I love bout myself, but nothin that I hate. One thing that I sometimes doubt would be my size. I know I’m not alone, but who ever heard of a 12 year old shorter than 5 ft. Appearantly me.but anyways….. I guess you could say that I love my size bcuz it tells me apart from the others. Sometimes it brings me down, but then I feel that it makes me better. I get called a lot of names, the good ones I make up myself. Fun size
A tiny package
Little ball of fury
Seedling
Just plain cute!
I love every imperfection in my body because it makes me so much different than others in a good way, the way were you feel unique and beautiful inside or out. Many people think you have to be skinny to be perfect but many skinny people have more imperfectins than us overweight ones who may [as mel states in diary of a vampeen ]have a little more in the middle we have the rest in all the right places. So, no matter what shape, size, race, or even age you are feel good about your every perfection just like me an 11 year old who loves herself just the way she is
while most people who are entering this contest telling there favorite part of their physical being. that they have gotten through growth or their genetic DNA gave them. My favorite part is the scar that makes my forehead. it is shapes like a ‘j’ with a mark that runs just across the longest part in the middle. i love my scar so much and i love my parents even more because they have offered several times to get it removed or covered up so no one can see it. they remember when i first got it when i was at a swimming lesson and I, the klutz that i am, managed to trip over a blind, def dog he was old so it wasn’t his fault. My dad freaked out and my cousins go us all in the car and drove us to the hospital. I loss a lot of blood that day and I only remember a little bit of what happened. when I got the stitches removed i cried several times because i would never have that perfect face that i always wanted. As the years went by i slowly began to love it. Because it reminds me every day that i am strong and i can and will not break. i love every imperfect part of my endless amount of scars on my legs, arms, stomach, and most of all my face.
P.S. thank you for writing the books i love the new story line to the books.
What I love most about my body is my hands. I love my hands because they make me who I am. They help me write, type and read. They help me while I drive and while I draw. They can do everything i need and that is why I love them so very very much. They help me become an artist.
If I had to pick my most favorite thing about my body, it would be a freckle on my right hand. People who know me would probably be surprised by that. I have been blessed with gorgeous blue eyes and have a pretty nice set of twins ;), but I would definitely say that freckle. Why? When I was a small girl I very much hated my freckles. No one else in my family had them and I was often teased for them. To help me with my sadness over them, my father used to tell me stories of fairies and how each freckle was actually a fairy kiss. This made me feel special and not abnormal. Every time I got a new one, I was excited instead of tearful. The reason the one on my right hand is my favorite is because it is the one I see most often. Every time I read, type, write, drive, do dishes, etc. I see it and it reminds me of my father and how to him I was one of the most beautiful people on this planet. He is no longer with us and I miss him daily. I only hope that I may be able to give the gift of beauty to my girls as they grow up in this world of “you are ot pretty if….). Oh great, now I am crying and babbling. This was a great contest. It helped me really think about things I had not thought of in quite a while.