Musings

Disclaimer: I realize this is a touchy subject for about 98% of the human population, so rather than taking offense to my opinion, just stop reading and still be my friend. :)

I've been thinking a lot lately about how much time we, as human beings, WASTE worrying about our self image. In 7th grade health class my teacher handed out a paper with a long list of subjects such as world peace, disease, hunger in third world countries, etc. including our self image. Then he told us to re-write the list with the most important issues were at the top. So of course we all put the traumas of the world at the top of our list and at the very bottom we listed "self image." At that point, my health teacher called us all liars and asked us what the first thing was that we thought about when we woke up that morning. Did we really think about world peace, or were we thinking about what we were going to wear, or how to do our hair? It's a sad truth. We are all self absorbed.

Fast forward 15 years (it's so weird to say that) and I've still got friends who will only eat 18 frosted mini wheats for breakfast trying to get back to their weight in High School. Really? When I look at the kids in High School now I think they look like babies! Half of the kids are still growing, only about eight guys can grow facial hair and most of the girls are still wearing training bras. That was a completely different time of life. Why do we care so much about being thin, or looking like a model when we have a functioning, healthy body? Let's be honest, even super models probably wish they could actually eat food, rather than chewing on parsley leaves for lunch.

While we are here on earth we have a body. And what is the purpose of having a body? I don't think it's to be the thinnest or the prettiest. I'm pretty sure we are here on earth to love and to serve and to be happy. While it is important to be healthy, I think it would do our bodies much more good to adopt a diet of helping and loving others rather than using all our energy OBSESSING over fitting into a size 2!

My family and friends are the most beautiful people I know. Will you ever see any of us on the cover of Vogue magazine? Probably not, but guess what? I don't care!