A Letter to My Body

Dear Body,

We have been through a lot these past few months huh?  It has in no way been easy lately and although you are trying your best, I have not been your biggest fan nor have I been easy on you.  I have criticized your looks, your abilities, and how you make me feel.  Despite the fact that you have held strong for years upon years and tried your best with what I have given you, I am still making things difficult.  I am still not working with you so that we can come at it from a team point of view, working together to get we want.

I would like to tell you body that I have given up being mean to you.  That we will always be a team from now on and that we will work together as one.  I cannot tell you that unfortunately because I know there will be times in the future where I tell you that I hate you, that I feel uncomfortable around you, and that I don't like the way you look.  What I can offer you, however, is a promise to try.  To try and understand where you are coming from, what you need, and what you are asking.  I will try to be a member of our team, to play fair and to work with you and not against you.  I will work my hardest to honor you and your requests, to give you compliments and to be thankful for all that you do for me.   I also want to ask you for your acceptance and forgiveness.  Like I said, I have not been so good to you.  I know you are trying your hardest, I am sorry that I may have made it more difficult than you would have liked.   Please forgive me and know that I am working to change this around.

Today body, I will look at you and marvel.  Marvel at what I have put you up against and the changes you are so willing to adjust to.  As you change and prepare yourself for the next phase of life, I thank you for giving this a shot, a chance - a glimmer of hope.

Today body, I promise to be gentler, to be kinder to you.  To look in the mirror and notice all the things I love about you - the fact that you have a more "womanly figure" these days; that sometimes, just sometimes, I can wash my hair and never do anything else and get beautiful curls, and that I have beautiful skin.  I will remember all the times I put you through hell training and how you screamed in pain (ankle, knee, IT Band you name it) and how I never stopped. I will recognize that today  the pain has been silent as you finally have the much needed chance to recover.

So today body, lets make a deal to look forward and be friends helping one another along the way.  I will try if you will. Ok?

Love,
Stephanie