By Tiffany Ash
Swimsuit season is here and whether you love it or hate it, I’m here with a message to Love. Your. Body. This summer, my little girl and I have been to the water park not once, not twice, but a handful of times already! As we arrive, she literally strips off her clothes before I can even get my beach bag off my shoulder. Yesterday, she spotted some friends and ran to them arms wide open with laughter and a huge smile (her little belly jiggling all the way) so thrilled to see her friends outside of school. She leapt into the water without hesitation and drenched her hair and body before I even sat down on a beach chair.
This park, this season, it’s her happy place. Me on the other hand. I slowly take my top off, then sit down, looking around to assess the people…evaluating whether anyone is present that I know. Or even worse, that I may have ever worked with. Horror! 15 minutes later I finally get down to just my bathing suit, but only for a quick minute. As soon as my daughter wants to move spots or go to the bathroom, I wrap myself back up in a full towel and shirt only to repeat the process again once we return to the water.
And getting into the water? After removing a swimsuit wedgie, reassessing the crowd, and getting my hair all up in the proper pony…then I venture to the water with her. And before long, my defenses down, we are both splashing and swimming and making the best summer memories. So, why do we (grown up women) get so weirded out about swimsuit season? Why do we stress about our fat roles and cellulite and all the other imperfections that we dream up?
My body gave life to three kids. And my daughter doesn’t look at it and see ugliness. She loves my squishy parts and just wants me to be PRESENT with her. And, as I stop and really take in the scene around me, all of us human beings are imperfect in some way, but so, so beautiful when we are living life full and free.
The most beautiful women to me at the water park are those women owning their bodies (flaws and all). Rocking that swimsuit, fat roles and all. Drenched and tanned and happy. And I want to be one of them. Won’t you join me?
xoxo – Tiffany
