Dear Body...

LondonCalling started this discussion · 5/28/2009

Okay...as a self hating gender, we tend to be overly critical of our shortcomings (or at least I do) and we fail to see what we already possess. I thought it'd be great if everyone wrote a dear body letter - a way to apologize to yourself for all of the things you've done out of hate because of what you don't fit or how you don't look. I'll start 🙂 Dear Body, It's been a long time since I cared about what went into you (food wise, haha). I'm sorry I neglected your needs and have shaved years off your life by gorging on unhealthy things and abusing you the next day by not eating at all. I'm sorry about the times I compared you to everyone else and called you fat and ugly. I'm sorry about how I didn't appreciate your beautiful skin and compliment each freckle. About those years of teenage angst when I would take mental anxiety out on you, I apologize. 😳 I'm sorry I mentally tethered you to a scale and forced an ideal that the smaller the number, the more attractive you are. I'm sorry I let other people influence how I should feel about myself and let it manifest in a negative way. I hope you can find it in your heart that I've laced with bad cholesterol (sorry about that too) to forgive me. I've been making it up to you for 2 weeks so far by putting down the cheeseburgers and picking up brown rice, veggies, and steam shrimp. I promise not to cringe at you in the mirror when I don't see something I like and I promise to tell you everyday that you're beautiful inside and out and to treat you to periodic makeovers to boast to the world (and your boyfriend) 😉 that "You're hawt!". I promised to cut back on caffeine and I did. I know you noticed because everyday I put that soda back and grabbed a bottled water, you smacked me in the forehead for not doing it earlier. I'm sorry I picked up smoking for all of 5 days in January because I thought it'd make you feel better instead of getting to the real issue. I'm sorry I hadn't written this earlier. And most of all, I'm sorry I've never stood in the mirror and said aloud that I love you, whether someone else does or not. I hope you guys will add on to this dear body post and reconnect with yourself and make a formal dedication to good health mentally, physically, and spiritually. Jess 😀

10 replies

SissyBuns · 5/29/2009
This is so sweet and such a good idea! Especially for those of us that are so critical of ourselves! It almost seems as if that's just what women do. We can't just take a compliment. "Oh your spins are so pretty...." "No way, my fat ass thighs make them look clumsy" Why can't we just say "Thanks"? I'd love to write a dear body letter....but it would take me forever! I put this old body through a lot over the past 30 years, but I can say that in my old age I have learned to appreciate what I have and do my best to treat it right 👍
Toccara · 5/29/2009
you are sooo right! In the past year, I have tried very hard to stop doing that to myself. If a man or anyone compliments me, I accept it and say "thank you!" People dont wanna continue to compliment you if youre just gonna tell them they're wrong. Its also such a turn-off to men. All it does is show how insecure you are, and that is NOT a good look! For men or yourself. People are always gonna say bad things about you, you shouldnt include yourself in that. The more you say nice things about yourself the more you will begin to believe it! 😉 Lets love ourselves ladies!!!! 🥂 🥂
Former member · 6/8/2009
what an amazing thread!!!!!! jay i LOVED your beautifully written letter, i dont know how anyone could top that one; everything you were writing about ive experienced myself!!! i started to write a letter but it didn't come close to what i wanted to say, so i scrapped it. jay's letter summed up my thoughts perfectly!
adamseve · 6/8/2009
Jess, how in the world did you get so smart? Thanks for posting this. Even at my 'old' age I learned quite a bit from this post. 👍 Thanks again! 😀
LondonCalling · 6/9/2009
I think maybe I was born with someone else's experiences embedded into my brain. I don't know why, but I've always been full of incite. 😳 🙂
SissyBuns · 6/9/2009
I think maybe I was born with someone else's experiences embedded into my brain. I don't know why, but I've always been full of incite. 😳 🙂 You're an old soul! 😁
pole-twista · 6/25/2009
i just wanted to say i think that was an amzing and inspiring post. thanks. i will be kindr to myself. i meaner to myself than to people i dislike, and i know i, and all of us really, deserve so much more. thanks again. 🌸
PoleDanceABCs · 6/25/2009
Oh girl, don't think that only we hate our bodies. Men as just exposed to formulas of what their gender is supposed to be as we are. Everything from being told "Don't cry" as a kid to the choices film producers make to put the "fat guy" in comedic roles whereas the "hunk" gets to be in action movies. I think it comes down to the fact that men don't vocalize their body rejections. You don't hear many men go, "Do I look fat in this?" but you KNOW they are asking it in their heads. You know when they see some 6-pack hunk on the cover of Men's Fitness that they want to look "like that". Why else do they stare at themselves when they are at the gym? I just hope this makes you feel better because I don't want you to think us gals are alone. And I loved your letter... I could totally relate to some points. I think I need to make one for my body....
JennyBacardi · 5/17/2011
last post is from 2 years ago but i just came upon it so i thought i would respond anyway Dear body Im sorry for always comparing you to girls who are just made different than you, im sorry for rejecting you, putting you down and making you feel fat when you really arent that big, im sorry for making you feel ugly because you have small boobs and stuffing you in push up bras to make you bigger...when small boobs rock ;) im sorry for staring at you in disgust, at all your extra fat and stretch marks...when i should be congratulating you that those stretch marks are there because yes you gained alot of weight...but you were able to lose it. Im sorry legs for hiding you when people said you looked big when i should have showed you off because your not big..its muscles from excercise and being able to do awesome pole moves that strippers cant even do. Im sorry for over plucking my eyebrows that to me were 'big and ugly' when so many people told me ' you know some girls would kill to have those eyebrows' and after years of over plucking i can never get them back. Im sorry for making you wear high heels to be taller when you are just beautiful short..and by the way you are not short...youre just your height. IM sorry for all the years of making you feel awful and instead of taking care of you i just stuffed you with loads of bad food and chocolate...and then putting you down even more for eating it. Im sorry body because you are beautiful just the way you are. thank you londoncalling it felt good to do this :)
JennyBacardi · 5/17/2011
and im sorry for every part of my body that i find small i want to make bigger..and every part i find too big i want to make smaller. IM sorry body. Im sorry i didnt just accept the awesome comments about you and just forget the bad ones. I love you body!