Monday, July 22, 2013

Varicose Veins

It's common
To complain about our bodies
Or be dissatisfied with how things appear
and take our health for granted.

I'm against it.
After dealing with an eating disorder,
I probably take not talking about my body, or anyone else's to the extreme.
I just don't think negative or even a positive evaluation of my body, or yours, does anyone any good.
Life is so precious and so fragile,
it just doesn't seem worth the time and energy to obsess.
My prayer is for me, my husband, my little girl, and for you to be
Healthy

My awesome sister-in-law was at the pool recently
and said something about the veins in her legs.
          I got her permission to post this ;)
But she had some tough stuff with baby #2 and now the veins in her legs are pretty apparent.
Then there's the torn ACL from soccer in high school,
- but my favorite scar on her legs is another torn ACL
...from jumping in the Sky Zone with her two sons!
(Did I mention she's awesome?)
Ali is on the left w/ my brother Jason & her two boys, my nephews, Cooper & Ian. My other brother Ryan & my other sis-in-law Natasha are on the right.

This may come across as sugar coating things,
but I'm going to claim those veins, scars and anything else she doesn't like about her legs as beautiful.
They tell me she's a mom who isn't afraid to play hard with her boys.
They tell others she's carried two babies and has worked hard every day since.
They tell her that she's lived life.

Her legs make me smile.
They represent a different definition of beauty, one that I so desperately want to believe for my body, and you to believe for yours.
That the stretches, scrapes, and yes, scars, were hard-earned and good reminders.
Of the truth of who we are, what we've been healed from and the life that we live.

I'd rather be like my sis-in-law with scars,
than have perfect legs that don't know how to jump on a trampoline with her babies.

~Shelby