Today, I’m participating in August McLaughlin’s Beauty of a Woman Blogfest (BOAW). It’s a celebration of beauty and/or beauty and sexuality, however you define it!
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For too long beauty required a number on the scale and a specific size of clothing.
Now I see how my clothes fit, I feel how my muscles move, and I think this is beauty.
That this body performs so many tasks a day to keep me functioning is amazing. I now devote an hour each day to it. To exercise and make it grow stronger.
After my spine surgery, I punished my body for a long time. Not consciously. But now I see what I did.
I was getting even with it for all the pain it put me through. I ate badly and didn’t exercise. I seized on every short-term pleasure food provided. And I avoided any and all sources of pain.
I feared one wrong movement would undo my surgery.
I was a coward.
There is good pain. There is the pain of a muscle straining and becoming stronger. There is the soreness of a new movement surprising a muscle.
These are pains that can be taken on and should be part of life.
Because they mean there is change and growth. Good things.
I’ve got a long road ahead, but challenges are what give life meaning. So here’s to the challenge of true beauty–to strength, grace and agility.
To the beauty of a body in motion.
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There are also some awesome prizes for the blogfest–there is the classic Beauty of a Woman Blogfest and the Girl Boner Beauty of a Woman Blogfest. I’m sure you’ll find posts that make you laugh, cry and nod in agreement.
Head over to August’s blog and check out some of the other fabulous blog posts between Sunday February 24th and Wednesday March 3rd to read submissions from both fests and for chances to win prizes!
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