With the media creating this idea of the perfect body, it's often hard to accept your own image. I've had my own fair share of hate when I look in the mirror, as society tells us that we need to look a certain way in order to be happy with ourselves. Many people think that beauty is physical, but true beauty comes from the confidence you have in yourself. In many ways, this is an apology letter, and in many ways, this letter expresses my newfound love for my body.

My dearest Body,

I'm sorry.

I called you fat and ugly.

I stood there, looking into mirrors day after day, grabbing the fat that hung from my stomach, and picking at the zits that lay upon my face. I stood there and looked at you in utter disgust. I never could see past the bulging stomach or the imperfect skin. I'm sorry for judging you and from basing your beauty off of a few imperfections.

I compared you to others.

It wasn't fair. I looked down on you because I thought that others were better than you. I constantly wondered why you couldn't be like them. But how could you possibly be like someone else, when you were created to be beautifully and perfectly unique? I'm sorry for basing your beauty off of the image of someone else.

I gave up on you.

For a while I stopped caring. I ate food that destroyed you and I wore clothes that only made you look worse. I stopped caring because I felt like other people stopped caring. I based my judgement on you off of what I thought others were thinking. I put my priorities on worthless things and I forgot about you. I'm sorry for losing faith in you when you had the ability to be much more.

I forgot to acknowledge the good things.

When I saw you, I saw nothing but blemishes and flaws, and I was unhappy. But all the while, your beauty remained right there in front of me, I just never saw it. I'm sorry for never taking the time to see the true beauty you hold.

So thank you, Body

Thank you for the beautiful hair that has the ability to be styled in many ways. Thank you for the curves that make me who I am. Thank you for a heart which can find the best in people, and has a passion to change the world. Thank you for a brain that is fully functioning and has gotten me where I am today. Thank you for the eyes that can see the beauty in the world around us. Thank you for the ability to breathe in with healthy and strong lungs. And thank you for never giving up on me, even when I gave up on you.

I will never give up on you again.

This letter is also a promise to you. I am not perfect, nor will I ever be. There will still be times where I fail you again, there will be days where I seem unhappy with you, but the love I have for you will withstand these few bad days. I promise to look at you every morning and remind you of how beautiful and important you are to me. Because without you, I am nothing.