What I Want You to Know is a series of reader submissions. It is an attempt to allow people to tell their personal stories, in the hopes of bringing greater compassion to the unique issues each of us face. If you would like to submit a story to this series, click here.
Today’s post is from my friend Bonnie Lewis, who blogs at Bonnie the Baker.
What I want you to know is that I like my new curves. I used to like being stick thin. I liked being muscular and working out as much as I could. I haven’t become lazy, I’ve just turned a new leaf.
I had a baby. And he has healed me.
It’s true, what everyone says- you gain weight. Your body changes. I sense you looking at me and wondering if I know that my hips are bigger, my waist is curvier, and my legs and arms look, well bigger. Believe me, I know. But my goal is not to get back to my original size. My goal is to wear my new size proudly, because a miracle grew inside of me.
What I want you to know is that our baby has healed me from myself, from thinking that my image was the most important thing. I have gone from being too thin, to being normal and I love it. I wear my new curves with pride, a mark that I gave birth, and I am a mom.
My new waist is a reminder that God used my body to grow a new life. My new hips are a reminder that my baby was healthy, born full term and a full 8 lbs and 9 oz. And my new workout plan is a reminder that I would rather watch my son smile than I would spending more than 30 minutes working out.
I am healthy and I am happy. Our baby has taught me to love myself. What I want you to know is that I am healed. And I like it this way.
