::Momma Disclosure::
{This is a compensated post in collaboration with Motherhood Through My Eyes and her Love Yourself Movement. }
::The "LoveYourself" movement is to help women, especially moms, share
their thoughts on why it is important to love yourself. As a mom, it's tough to
put yourself at the center of anything. We're always busy trying to love and
care for others that we forget to love ourselves.::
You too can show your support for the campaign by
buying a Love Yourself Tee!
Visit the MTME shop: http://mtmeshop.
As a young adult, I never feared not being loved and didn't really care what I looked liked. My confidence was stable. Very stable. It wasn't until I had a child that my body changed and so did my feelings. I started feeling, so inadequate and simply, plain out ugly. As a women I learned that beauty is of a certain size, shape and color. I didn't allow that beauty to grown deep within me and bloom. Instead I allowed it to fester into an obsession of what I look like and what will others think of me. Especially after I became a Momma.
Truth is, beauty is who you are. Beauty is within, as cliché as that may sound. To me beauty is not something that others should except from you but instead something that you as an individual should seek in yourself. The worse thing to do is hate yourself. Or disrespect your body, mind and soul because of what others may think of you or expect from you.
Finding the real beauty is about loving who you are, what you look like, and how you feel. Acceptance of your hair texture, eye color and yes even that hideous belly flap, because no it’s not pretty. As a now Momma of Two amazing children, who tell me daily.. “Mami, you are so pretty.” I accept the way I look, I embrace my body that has changed and that belly flap that follows me everywhere I go.
It didn't take a day to realize that this is who I am, it took a lot of ugly crying in the bathroom and even some therapy to establish this now LOVE/some days hate relationship with the flap and my new body image.
It took months of deciding that I would exercise and eat better to be healthy and strong; not to be able to fit into a 2-piece bathing suit but for my growing children. It took hours of reading my Bible and daily affirmations to realize that my heart and mind weren't in the right place for a long time. It took speaking to other women similar to me and who looked like me, yes belly flap and all, to know that I am loved and accepted for who I am.
It took constant affirmation from my Husband who is loving, caring and very patient with me and my self-consciousness.
But, the real love for this Momma of Dos comes after much time invested in ME. Loving who I am is a daily struggle. Reminding myself that I am who I am, and that the way I look can’t be my biggest fear. That I shouldn't care if others love me until I can learn to love myself. That’s when the real respect and love are shown.
It took months of deciding that I would exercise and eat better to be healthy and strong; not to be able to fit into a 2-piece bathing suit but for my growing children. It took hours of reading my Bible and daily affirmations to realize that my heart and mind weren't in the right place for a long time. It took speaking to other women similar to me and who looked like me, yes belly flap and all, to know that I am loved and accepted for who I am.
It took constant affirmation from my Husband who is loving, caring and very patient with me and my self-consciousness.
But, the real love for this Momma of Dos comes after much time invested in ME. Loving who I am is a daily struggle. Reminding myself that I am who I am, and that the way I look can’t be my biggest fear. That I shouldn't care if others love me until I can learn to love myself. That’s when the real respect and love are shown.
Self-Love is so important to us as Momma’s and it’s important to support one another as we attempt to discover and gain the self-love needed to move forward.
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