Letter to My Body

Dear Body,

It's odd to be writing a letter to you but I think it’s way past time that I did this. It just occurred to me that I owe you an apology and I've owed you this apology for most of my life. So here it goes.

I know that you care about me. You carry me through everyday. Without you I couldn't write, talk, dance, run, laugh or smile. You are so nice to me and you put all your energy and time into me so I can do what I want to do. After all your hard work, all you ask for is to treat you nice and take care so you can live a long life and I haven't even done that.

I’m sorry that I’ve hated you. I’m sorry that I’ve cursed at you for being fat. I'm sorry that I was upset that you were never as perfect as I wished you could be. I'm sorry that I complained about my features, my arms, my legs and every other part of you. I'm sorry that I never looked in the mirror and saw you as the beautiful thing that made me...well...me. I’m sorry that I wished you were different when all you ever were was good to me. And, I’m sorry that I compared you to others when I should have been praising your uniqueness.

I’m sorry that I starved you when you needed food but I was determined to lose weight as fast as I could. I'm sorry for not giving you the exericse that you so deserved because I was too embarassed to do so. I'm sorry for not listening to you when you said you were full and I kept eating anyway. I'm sorry for punishing you with laxatives, water pills and purging when you weren't doing what I wish you were.

You’ve always been there for me, doing what you needed to even though I wasn't able to.

Legs: You’ve always been strong and taken me wherever I needed to go even as I piled on the pounds and dismayed at the dimples.

Arms: You held and carried and lifted for me, even as I complained about your wobbliness.

Face: I'm sorry for lamenting in your imperfections and double chins instead of praising your beauty.

And belly: I think I’ve been the worst to you. I’ve hated you since I could remember. When you started to stick out and I realized I would never have a completely flat stomach like so many other girls did. I have loathed you for that and I’m sorry. You gave me the most precious gift I could ever ask for: my children.

So I now say “Thank you” with all of my heart and soul. Thank you for doing your best all
these years while enduring my negativity. Thank you for loving me back when I didn’t love
you.

Love always,
Me