what i like about me

ciaomom wrote this absolutely inspiring post about liking ourselves. there’s just not enough of that. women and men are inundated constantly with an overculture that says there are so many gazillions of ways you could be better. and if there’s that much “could be better” then there’s certainly a huge lack of “damn good the way i am”. she’s also challenging us to write these things down for all the world to see by offering a rad prize. and i’m always down for a prize.

i want to note how important the sharing with the world portion of this challenge is to me. while i am able to take a compliment with a gracious thank you, it’s hard for me to feel comfortable sometimes when i show people that i do indeed think i am smart, beautiful, funny. i’m overweight. in the last few years, i’ve become pretty seriously overweight. i’m working on that, by taking steps to make me a healthier me *not necessarily a skinnier me*, but on the whole, i think i’m pretty pretty. sometimes i feel like i have to convince people that this is true. because there are a lot of people who simply don’t understand how i could feel pretty, when my body is the epitome of what they fear. so thank you, ciaomom, for allowing me to be loud and proud.

here goes:

• i think my body is beautiful. i have a rubenesque body, and the softness and roundness of it appeals to me. it also happens to be the body type i’m most attracted to in women. i love every dimple, i love my soft belly, i love that my butt is like *bam*.
• i love my hair. i have super thick, super curly, so brown it’s just almost black hair. it looks fantastic in an updo. i look like a greek goddess when it’s down and pulled back at the sides. i look like a lioness when it’s all the way down. and it’s easy peasy to do. a little gel, a little serum, and a little defusing and i’m good to go.
• i love my brain. m’s friends call me world book. i am full of both useful and useless knowledge. i rock at jeopardy. i am very analytical. i am very open to learning.
• i have very sharp insight. my 6th sense is so keen it’s almost a 7th sense. i have dreams that tell me lots of things. i am almost always correct about someones character within about 60 seconds of talking to them. i’ve always said that if this life path goes to shit, you’ll find me in the french quarter reading tarot cards and making a killing in my long, flowy dresses.
• i love my loyalty. to those in my life that are my circle, i will do anything at anytime and ask no questions. i will defend and protect. i will travel any distance to get to one of my people in need, if it’s only just the need for a familiar hand to hold.
• i have really pretty fingers and i love them.
• i love my sense of humor. i love to make people laugh. it’s pretty twisted at times, but then again it can be as squeaky clean as it comes and i’m just as humored.
• i love my laugh. it’s loud and goofy and makes people turn to look if it strikes me in a public place. but when they look, they’re smiling because who in the world can keep from smiling at a bigger than life goofball laugh?
• i love my strength. this is a hard one, because many many times i’ve asked god why in the world he finds me to be so strong that i could endure the things in my life that have required herculean stamina. but i’m growing to love it. because i can withstand so very much, and i’m beginning to see the connection between that and what i am able to provide for others through the mere fact that someone isn’t freaking out. someone is just putting one foot in front of the other and carrying on, when some that i love can’t carry on for themselves sometimes. i’m proud of that strength.
• i love the way i look in a maxi dress. and that pretty much sums it up.

thanks so much for the opportunity to remind myself that i’m pretty much rad.

now it’s your turn! tell me what you love about you. or better yet, head over to ciaomom’s and write your own list!