SOAM is officially ten years old. Just about this time of the day, when my big kid was napping, I took a quick picture of my baby and my belly and posted a new blog asking moms to send me their photos of their postpartum bodies. I felt like, if we had a large database of diverse bodies, we might be able to expand our view of what “beautiful” means; we might be able to fully embrace the idea that what the media shows us is just one kind of beauty and that we harm ourselves by not celebrating more kinds.
These last ten years have been quite a ride. When I first posted this, I wasn’t even officially a homeschooling mom yet since my big kid was only 4. I homeschooled the kids for many years and now they both attend brick-and-mortar schools – my daughter is starting high school this year! This year, my son went to sleep-away camp for the first time. My daughter wanted to go to the Bernie Sanders rally. These small humans who once lived inside my body are growing into remarkable people with passions and a desire to make the world a better place.
What even are stretch marks in comparison with the powerful people who painted them onto my body?
What even is beauty if we don’t admire the hard work that goes into becoming a person and changing the world?
Mamas, today take a moment to admire, love, and celebrate the changes your body has gone through to produce the next generation of wonderful people. Your bodies deserve it and so do you.
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I love your attitude, and I love your site. Thank you for helping to make our world better.