Some mornings pace out
like a stretching cat, slow and sinewy. I find time to write, jot off a few
emails, or even read an article or two before my daily routine kicks into
overdrive. This morning, Mom woke up complaining that she felt sick. We’ve
begun to suspect that really means she’s hungry. After two huge pancakes soaked
in syrup and a mug of heated Boost, Mom retreated back to bed, mumbling that
she felt cold and instructing me to tuck an extra blanket around her.
My unexpected free
morning led me to peruse Facebook, where I stumbled upon a magnificently
powerful essay written by Ashley Judd. In this piece, she articulated her
frustration with our society’s obsession over physical appearance. She blasted
the media for its derogatory attitudes and agenda when dealing with women.
I wish every Hollywood
actress and runway model would throw away her scales. I wish they would fire
their trainers and their private chefs. I wish they would eat sensibly and eat
well. I wish they would exercise for health and not for wealth. I wish they
would never visit a plastic surgeon. I wish they would embrace crow’s feet and
cellulite. I wish they would unite and
declare, “No more size 0 for me!”
Wouldn’t it be lovely to
see our women gently embracing life’s events instead of battling against
nature? I’m tired of pregnant women dieting because they want to be within five
pounds of their “pre-baby weight” once they deliver. I’m worn out by women who
guzzle wine and puff cigarettes to control their appetites. I’m exhausted by
the queries of my fifty-something friends on whether a facelift or Botox
treatment would make them look younger and sexier. I’m tired of seeing friends
starve themselves into bikinis that really
should be worn only by younger women.
I challenge my fellow
females to look into their mirrors, see the “flaws” and to declare, “I love the
crinkles around my eyes when I smile!” For you see, everyone’s beautiful when
she smiles.
Copyright 2012 Elizabeth Abrams Chapman
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