I Heart My Body 2012

This is my third year participating in We Heart Life's I Heart My Body campaign.

The first time, with a headless, outdated preggo belly shot, and the second time completely starkers with a strategically placed toddler covering my nudie bits. I felt amazingly empowered after participating the last two times so I just had to do it again.

A month ago I started to take care of myself (took my time, right?). I've been eating better and have even been attempting to push through the whole boring chronic pain thing to walk places. Granted it is at such a slow pace that Mavis and Gladys overtake me on their Zimmer frames and any cardiovascular benefits are moot, but that's completely beside the point. The point is I'm trying (I'm very trying). And it's working. I feel better.

This week I had a little heath scare. It's more "annoying and expensive" than "life and death". Almost a year to the day when I asked if it would take such a thing for me to start looking after myself. So, yeah. Fabulous timing, body, thanks for that. But I'm using it as motivation to keep going with what I've been doing and not lose sight of why I'm doing it... because I want my body to be healthy. Because we all realize relying on my mind to be healthy is just not feasible.

So do I love my body? Yeah, sometimes. When I put in effort, stand up tall, smile and really pay attention to the things that matter. It's put up with a lot over the years and ideally I'd like it to put up with a bit more in the future. So I have to love it. It's the only one I've got:

I know what you're thinking: does this woman ever wear clothes? Take me to the pool and I'm covered up, stick me on the Interwebz and I'm an exhibitionist. Sans toddler this time because it was well after his bedtime when I shoved a camera in to Map Guy's hands and asked him to take this. Plus wearing toddlers as a nudie-bit coverer is sooo 2011.

The three things I love about my body:

1. My breasts. Yep, on the list for three years running, these boozies deserve a medal. They're slightly smaller this year thankfully, and can now fit in to regular bras from regular shops. Sometimes. They're also still producing milk for the Trickster.
2. My eyebrows. They might be uneven thanks to some over zealous waxing in my younger years, but they're pretty good at not being a monobrow or looking like two caterpillars stuck to my head. I've also recently managed to lift only one eyebrow so I can give the perfect "WTF?!" look. That in itself makes them worthy of a spot on this list.
3. My tattoos. They totally count as a part of my body since they are there forever (or until expensive laser removal). I am still insanely in love with the tattoo on my arm. After wanting it for years and years I'm surprised that I sometimes forget its even there. Then I'll catch a glimpse of it in the mirror when I'm brushing my teeth and I can't help but smile.

Do you heart your body?