Loving Your Body, Even When It's Hard

Me on Facebook yesterday: I hate my body today. I really do.

Fab feminist friend: Remember your Love Your Body post! This feeling will pass,,,

Oh damn. There’s nothing like having your own words come back you in the ass. It’s one thing to write all those idealistic, pretty words when things are going well on Love Your Body Day. It’s quite another to try walk the ‘body love’ walk when you’re recovering from a nasty fall down the basement stairs with a glass in your hand, I cut my hand up pretty badly and an now the proud owner of 17 stitches, plus I have bumps and bruises all over my body and I have a possible hairline fracture in my wrist. Plus, a nasty stomach bug was making me miserable.

Still, there was and is plenty left to love about my body:

• My left shoulder, arm, wrist, hand and fingers, which have allowed me to do most of the tasks my right side does
• My vocal cords, which have allowed me to ask for help when I need it and to swallow pain meds, chocolate, Diet Coke and other nutritious things
• My eyes, which have allowed me to read, the only activity I’ve felt like doing for any extended period of time

My friend is right: even on the crummiest days, our bodies still do marvelous things.

Have you shown your body some love lately?

(For the record, I have poor balance and coordination as a result of my 2005 spinal cord injury. I wasn’t feeling well and simply lost my balance. No one pushed me. There was no domestic violence.)

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