12 Comments

Such a wonderful reminder! Being a woman is so stinking wondrous and hard and gratifying. Add to that the complexity of being a black woman in this country and you quickly realize that you must choose love of yourself because the hate of others will easily consume you. Oh to be Billy instead…

Expand full comment

Oh Tam, Thanks for your beautiful words and comments- and your honesty. I’m so grateful for you and all that you bring to my life and the lives of those around you.. “you must choose love of yourself because the hate of others will easily consume you…” Have you read This Here Flesh, by Cole Arthur Riley? I follow her on instagram and I’m one chapter in. Her voice is powerful. Kind of along the same vein - choosing self-love in the face of hate

Expand full comment

I'm so excited to embrace beauty and sensuality in my "second act." The small things that bothered me before now stay small; I decide what is given weight and substance.

Expand full comment

This is something we can all relate to. Well done you! for being so kind to your body.

Expand full comment

Thanks for reading and joining the conversation Valerie. Cheers to being kind to ourselves!

Expand full comment

Powerful message! Brought back memories of when I was in my early teens and my overly protective mama told me that boys were going to tell me that I was pretty but that I shouldn’t believe them because they were only looking to take advantage of me. Besides affecting my relationships with boys, for many years I thought of myself as unattractive & disliked going into places decorated with mirrors that I couldn’t avoid.

Expand full comment

The mirror image is a powerful one- as is our relationship with fitting rooms. Thanks for sharing your experience with the community.

Expand full comment

We liked it a lot.

Expand full comment

Thanks for endless support and joining in the conversation.

Expand full comment

Fist pumping your first post and your unapologetic love of your body 👊

Expand full comment

Thanks for reading and commenting and helping me navigate Substack. Celeste also has a Substack fur anyone that wants to check it out. Love the word unapologetic. My hope is that this will be a community formed in the comments.

Expand full comment

Still a work in progress for me, but yes! I no longer weigh myself and that is a huge weight lifted which has opened up so much brain space.

Expand full comment