As summer approaches and the air warms, the majority of teenage and 20-something girls are anticipating the dreaded moment. What dreaded moment am I talking about here? If you are a male you may or may not have experienced this moment. If you are a female, it is quite possible you have.

Growing up on the East Coast meant plenty of opportunities for bare skin. Between the bay, the rivers, and the beaches, I have had my fair share of "Salt Life." But each Memorial Day weekend always meant one thing: the unveiling. OK, I know I'm being dramatic, but many girls know the feeling of taking off your clothes on that last Saturday in May.

The cringing. The, "I hope no one is looking at me." The part of you that wants to get it over with as fast as possible and sprint to the safety of the pool (with no one watching, of course). The unveiling of the body that hasn't seen the light of day for the past seven months. The harsh, penetrating sunshine that reveals the stretch marks on your un-tan inner thighs and the stubble patch of dark hair that you missed when you shaved your legs two days ago. As you unzip your shorts and take off your top, you cast a long sideways glance at your other girlfriends, wanting the best for them but also hoping they are as pale as you. Just when you are about to breathe, that group of boys that you haven't seen since last summer are approaching. Quick. Grab a towel. Go the the bathroom. Call your mom? Anything to postpone this greeting. Anything to remain feeling confident and in control.

Rewind to last night. You were laying on your bed, scrolling through the highly-refined and accredited Instagram where nothing short of porn is available at your fingertips. The first step in "Want To Feel Bad About Yourself? 101" is unlock your phone, followed by:

1. Select the Instagram application.

2. Begin scrolling through the news feed.

3. Select a profile of any female with job description as "model."

4. Initiate "self-loathing" sequence.

5. Close application 90 minutes later.

I can guarantee you that millions of girls do this every evening. And I can also guarantee you that this is not helping how you feel on the day of the unveiling. But before we berate our bodies, let's consider a few details.

First off, models have a very special job to do. They model things: Clothing. Jewelry. Swimsuits. Ideas. Lifestyles.

They get paid money to model: Things. Clothing. Jewelry. Swimsuits. Ideas. Lifestyles.

Their days revolve around looking exactly how they need to in order to model: Things. Clothing. Jewelry. Ideas. Lifestyles.

Their days include two to three hour workouts (with or without personal trainers) and vegan, organic, natural foods planned for themselves to eat or already pre-proportioned for them to eat.

Their days include filling their days with activities to do instead of eating at specified meal times.

Their career is modeling, defined as "an occupation undertaken for a significant period of a person's life and with opportunities for progress" (thanks, Google).

You and I, my friends, are not models (unless you actually are a model and you're reading this, which is kind of awkward). We have jobs. We go to school. We have significant others. We have little doggies and kitties. We have exams to study for. We have children. We have average paychecks. We have families that we prefer to see regularly. We have schedules that leave us sleep deprived, ravenously hungry, and barely ready to take on the next week. We have people depending on us. We have things to do with very little time to do it.

If for one second we begin to compare our bodies to those of full time models, we are kidding ourselves. I think its amazing if a woman manages to work out four days a week. It is equally amazing if she makes a semi-healthy meal for her family with some gluten-free tortillas she bought at ALDI. That is remarkable. I hope to be that woman someday. Having this is mind, it is time to return to the unveiling scenario.

The unveiling is coming. It is approaching at speeds of light faster than we are ready for. But this unveiling doesn't have to be the same as all the other years. This Unveiling can be different. Take a moment, listen to your heart. It's beating. Steady. Strong. Look at your hands. They move when your brain tells them to. Smile. It's quite something. Listen to yourself laugh. It's your soul beckoning life. Run. Skip. Hop. Jump. You are an amazing creature capable of amazing things. Flip your hair and wiggle your toes. You are alive. Breathe in, breathe out. Say your full name.

There is no one like you on this planet. You are the only you. So when it comes time to bare-all in the sparkling sunshine, make sure people see you -- the inner you. The you that matters. (And take a second to remind yourself that your occupation is not swimsuit model.)