Love Your Tummy!

Tummy.  Belly.  Stomach.  Gut.  Love pillow.  Jiggly bit.  Paunch.  Abs.  Abbie-domen. 

Why don't we love our tummies????  This morning at the gym, I was speaking with a friend who was having a tough morning.  This woman is about a size 2, maybe a 4 on a bloated day.  She is fit, healthy and lovely.  Yet, she was in a full blown negative funk about how mad she was at her body for aging.  She was ranting about her "obscene" belly.  She said she was sick and tired of sitting down, looking down and seeing her "fat" stomach.  It was all I could do to not burst out laughing right in her face!  She actually tried to grab the flesh on her abdomen to make a point and all she came up with was the fabric of her shirt.  More internal laughter on my part.  She said that getting older sucked because it was impossible to stay thin.  .....more internal laughter from me.

Of course, I did not laugh at her.  She was in the midst of her own tough moment, no matter how laughable it was to me.  I had to wonder, what messages did she get as a child that would have her so upset over her body at mid-life.  Instead, I put my arm around her shoulder and told her it was OK to be in a funk as long as she promised me that she would remember what I know to be true. So she asked - what's that???  I told her that 16 years ago when my friend Monica was dying from cancer, she made me promise to really celebrate every birthday because she would not have any more.  My friend from this morning said - thank you- for making me remember what is important.

We all have our our funk moments.  We all have moments when we are less than satisfied with a body part (or two) and we all have moments of yearning for the former 20 year old body.  I don't know about you but I would not trade my 50+ year old brain for my 20 year old body!!!  Just please promise me that you will ultimaely honor and love your body, mind and spirit, tummy pillow and all!  There is so much to love!

Desire to honor Monica with celebration of life.  Discipline to minimize the negative funk.  Dedication to loving your body!