I am about to be 20 years old. For the majority of my life, I have felt like my body was never good enough. Never "pretty" enough. That there was always something wrong with my looks.

This stemmed from the fact I started "maturing" in the 4th grade. I remember kids making fun of me for supposedly stuffing my bra, and calling me names for something I couldn't even help.

In middle school and high school, I would always compare myself to the skinniest, most athletic girl in my grade. I would strive to have the same thin, long legs as her, and a perfect, flat stomach. No matter how many sports I played, or what I ate, my hips stayed much larger than the rest of my legs, and I could never quite achieve what I thought was perfection.

The way that I felt for so long is something both men and women deal with, especially during the end of the semester. With summer right around the corner, it is common to see the salad lines on campus getting longer, and the gym more packed. Everyone is working towards their "summer body."

There isn't anything wrong with wanting to look and feel your best. When I am more in shape, I mentally and physically feel more energetic. But a little bit of weight doesn't make you less of a person. It doesn't make you less pretty, have less worth, and shouldn't make you feel so bad about yourself.

Your body is capable of so many incredible things. It is the shell of your mind and imagination. It has the capability to carry you so far, and no matter what you look like you should cherish your body.

It isn't healthy to completely stop eating or to exercise excessively to cut weight fast. There is a healthy way to lose weight and to treat your body right, and no matter what you think about your body, always remember that you are beautiful inside and out no matter what.

The body I have will one day grow a child. It will take me through my education. My body is the body I will have on summer vacation, and the same body that will spend holidays with my family. Whatever it looks like, my body is strong and resilient and for that I am thankful.