Body Image

Monday, December 3, 2007

When Donna was growing up, her parent always lovingly teased that she was their "big girl". I don't mean when she was like five in a gee-now-you're-in-kindergarten-please-stop-sucking-your-thumb sort of way. At five feet, seven inches, Donna is nearly as tall as her dad. So even into high school, she was their "big girl".

While she's never been anything even close to obese, and while she's never considered herself fat, I think it's a safe bet that she also never thought of herself as skinny. In fact, I think that while she's always been aware of her weight and shape, she's never really had either a positive or negative body image at all.

She's certainly been aware of her weight and size and shape but it's never seemed like it was really a part of who she is... a part of her identity.

But something has happened lately as Donna as made a conscious effort to discover the world outside her prescribed boundaries. She has discovered her body. It has become a part of her identity. She now rejoices in skinny days and laments her fat days. In the past, there had been no indication that if she felt one way or another about her body that it made any difference to her daily goings-on.

The upside to all of this is that, for the most part, she has developed a body image that is positive. She sees herself as a tight, skinny, sexy woman. Which, of course, she is. As a result, she now carries herself with all the physical confidence she deserves. She's not ashamed or afraid of her body within appropriate boundaries.

I, for one, am glad of it and hope she's able to discover and integrate into her identity even more of the fabulous things those of us around her already know.

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