I have crow’s feet, sun spots, and chin hair that if it gets much thicker will become a full-fledged goatee. I have boobs that are “too long” (my five-year-old’s words, not mine) and a butt that isn’t quite as firm as it used to be. It’s still nice in my humble opinion and my husband’s—just not as firm as it once was.
I sport under-eye dark circles on the regular. And the bags that accompany the circles often rival those of a Bassett Hound. I have rough, less-than-feminine hands. I have gray hair that glints back at me from the mirror like little flecks of silvery glitter. And I can no longer jump on a trampoline or sneeze in confidence.
By some standards, I’m kind of a mess.
Now, I know there are things I could do to change just about all of these things. I could buy the anti-aging serum, the eye cream, and some dye for my hair. I could use a little more lotion and maybe run and exercise (moms—you know what I mean) a little more often. I could. But I’m not going to.
Nope. I’m not changing a thing. Except for the chin hair. The chin hair is getting out of hand. But other than that, I’m not changing a thing.
Why?
Well, because this body—I’ve earned it.
Laughing and basically living outside have given me my crow’s feet and sunspots. Ranching and working in the weather have afforded me these leathery hands.
The too-long boobs came from nursing three babies for a collective 47 months. While I’m not entirely sure where the chin hair came from, I’m almost certain it can be attributed in some way to motherhood and the lovely hormones that come with it. The slightly squishy butt, circles, bags, and peeing a little when I jump or sneeze—motherhood, motherhood, motherhood, and motherhood.
And the gray hair, well that comes from age and good genes. Yes, good genes. My mom and grandma both have gorgeous white hair. Plus, “Gray hair is a crown of splendor, it is attained by a righteous life.” Proverbs 16:31
I mean, mine is more of a tiara on account of I don’t have much gray hair, but still—crown of splendor, friend. So there’s that.
And I’m not changing a thing because somewhere in my journey I resolved to love me. To recognize that everybody and every body is beautiful, including my own.
I resolved to accept who I am and be kind to myself.
And this resolution—it’s one I think we should all adopt. Not because I don’t think you should ever do things like take up jogging, apply sunscreen more regularly, do things to strengthen your pelvic floor, or really anything else your heart desires. But because when you resolve to love yourself and appreciate that you are fearfully and wonderfully made by His grand design, it’s so incredibly freeing and translates to more love and kindness all around.
So, go ahead. Set yourself free. Embrace you. And by all means, keep crossing those legs when you sneeze and wearing that silvery gray hair glitter like the crown of splendor it is.
*A version of this was previously published on Her View From Home.
Hello! I’m Terryn – the wife, mother, food safety enthusiast, Stormy Kromer fanatic who has slightly (okay, a lot) random tendencies, dabbles in photography, and shares (maybe a little too much) here at FFB.