[dropcap]F[/dropcap]our months ago, I gave birth to my second baby. As I write this, I’m in the throes of new motherhood. My hair is falling out (thank you, postpartum hair loss) and, to be brutally honest, I feel 
fat and old. My skin looks lined and dull. What’s left of my hair is flat and weird. I don’t get in the shower as much as I’d like to and I haven’t been getting to the gym. I definitely have a mom bod.
BUT . . .
And this is a big BUT (and I’m not talking about the one that seems to be trying to jiggle its way out of my swimsuit)
BUT . . .
I LOVE MY MOM BOD.
I love my body. And you can too. Here’s the deal: You don’t have to like your body to love it. It’s just that simple. Embracing the idea that it’s okay not to like your body at one moment in time can take the pressure off and be freeing, letting you really find the love your body deserves.
I love the way my body has carried and given birth to two children. I love the way my body has made milk for my babies. My body carries loads of groceries, lugs around heavy car seats, lifts up my toddler, pushes an old reel lawn mower, and hunches over to pull weeds from our garden.
My body lets me experience all sorts of things—from climbing onto airplanes to walking on wet grass to eating ice cream on a hot day. My body gives me a place for my children to eat and sleep and cuddle and be comforted.
My body has been through a lot: surgeries and broken bones, the extreme changes of pregnancy, sunburns and scars. My body has climbed up a volcano and has done a triathlon.
My body is amazing. And yours is too.
So, while I might not like my body right now, that’s okay. There’s still room to love it.
And, importantly, I am trying to teach my children to love their bodies, too. I heard someone say recently, “Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to your daughter,” and I am taking it to heart. I’m not going to complain about my body, even in the moments that I don’t feel like loving it.
I am going to treat my body with the love and the respect it deserves. I am not going to starve it or torture it or tell it it’s not worthy. I am not going to let other people comment on my body. I am going to eat delicious food and move around and wear a swimming suit and be grateful for the 39 years I’ve had with this body.
When my kids look at me, they see their mom. They see softness and space. They love my mom body. And I need to too.
So, if you’re not always happy with what you see in the mirror, remember that it’s okay. It’s okay to not like your body, but I hope you find ways to love your beautiful body for its strength and resilience.
