Dear Body,

This is something that I thought would take me awhile to say. I love you.

It has taken me years of hard work but I finally made it. Not many people are willing to admit that but I am so proud of the body that I am in.

I used to hate you. I never wanted anything to do with you. I wanted to change so many things about you because I thought it would make me beautiful. I am so sorry I mistreated you and did not care for you like I should. The way my legs looked embarrassed me. I couldn't stand the size of my stomach. I hated my stretch marks. I willed for my hair to be straight. I wanted to look like all of the movie stars and singers. I wanted to be an IT girl.

You have given me beauty that no one else can have. I am beautiful because there will never be another me. Those stretch marks are memories. The bruises show I have adventure. My stomach shows how many good meals I have had. I feel so comfortable to be now that I wish I could tell younger me that we have finally made it.

I am human, imperfectly human. I have my physical flaws, but they are my own. I still think about certain things I wish I could change when I see myself in the mirror. But that is natural. Then I think no one else can pull you off but me. I never want to imagine what it would be like to be in another body or to look like the models, actresses, and singers. The IT girls are not who I am. I am me.

I promise to treat you better. I will work towards treating you as a temple because there is only one of you. I want us to go out with a bang. I want the world to remember the girl who loved her body and felt comfortable in her own skin. This girl will not be a cookie cutter girl. I promise to never body-shame you again.

When I second guess myself in that bikini, give me the confidence that I know I have. When I wear that shirt I love and others hate, tell me that I have my own style and that you are a trend setter. When I get thunder and lightening scars on my jeans, show me a new favorite pair that I can buy, or transform them into a cute pair of shorts.

When I think about how much I hate my hair, show me how much I can do with it and that it matches who I am. When I suck in my stomach, let me know that I need to breathe. When I see the acne scars, tell me that no one has perfect skin.

I love the stretch marks on my legs and hips. I love my unmanageable hair. I love my body fat. I love every inch of my body. I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for us.

Love,

Your Biggest Fan