What do I like about my body?

I read this blog post this morning, and I thought about this article I shared on Facebook a few weeks ago and all of the Photoshopped before and after pictures I've seen of celebrities lately, and my own hard work to live healthier in body and mind, and I decided I needed to answer this question for myself.

I'll start with what I don't like, for honesty.

I don't like the one wavy section of hair on the back of my head that keeps it all from being perfectly straight so that it requires extra work when I let it grow long.

I don't like the extra weight I've been carrying between my belly button and my knees since Luke quit nursing.

I don't like my extra wide feet that make it difficult to find really cute shoes that fit.

That's a pretty short list. I'm pretty proud of that because it used to be a whole lot longer. I've worked really hard since becoming a mother to love my body for what it is and stop wishing for it to be something it's not.

The hair? It's just hair. It's frustrating when it won't behave, but I don't have to obsess over it anymore. I can always just cut it off when I've reached my limit of tolerance with it.

The soft mid-section? Well, it did a whole lot of work growing humans, and I'm really in awe of that, still. The extra weight? That's my own fault for over-indulging, even when I know it's not good for my long-term health. I'm steadily working to lose it the healthy way - by eating food that's good for me and only what I need instead of enough to feed three people.

The feet? They will always piss me off while I'm shoe shopping, but that won't stop me from shopping.

What do I like about my body?

It grew two people! And fed them! While I was nursing, I secretly wanted one of those t-shirts that says, "I make milk. What's your superpower?" but I thought it might be a bit much.

These arms? The ones that I always compare to those Photoshopped, skinny, celebrity arms? They are strong. They can lift crying children and hug hurting people. They make me feel loving.

These hands? The ones that are starting to show their age? They know a lot. The can cook, and clean, and fix almost anything. They mend books and scraped knees. They brush hair and teeth, and they type lots and lots of words. They paint and glue and, sometimes they even sew, just a little. They make me feel capable.

These legs? The ones that have always been just a little too thick? They take me places and keep up with a super-fast boy. They walked miles to console an inconsolable baby. They make me feel powerful.

This head? The one that has often seemed so dark and twisted? It is full of knowledge - from books, from people, from Google, from living. Even better than that? It seems to have an unending hunger for more. It wants to know all the things about all the things. It makes me feel determined.

This heart? The one that's been so broken, and hardened, and hurt? It is full and joyful in a way that I can only explain by naming the one who made it that way: Jesus. Oh, sometimes those scars still haunt me, but this heart makes me feel humble and hopeful.

Isn't that interesting? The things I like about this body are nothing like the things this world say I should want.

What do you like about yours?