I had the bright crazy idea to look for a new swimsuit this weekend!
Let me start out by saying that I broke almost every one of MixandMatchMama’s rules about swimsuit shopping {Check out her post HERE}! I typically L.O.A.T.H.E. swimsuit shopping and would never think of stepping out of the dressing room in one, let alone allow a friend to see me in it. Weird, I know since the whole idea of a swimsuit is to wear it at the pool or beach, which are typically public places – ha!
But, I got brave at Target on Friday night. Beyond the whole body image struggle that most woman have and the self-loathing that can happen in the dressing room when trying them on, the main problem I had was trying to find something that actually covered me while being cute at the same time. I saw this video link on Facebook a month or so and can not tell you how badly I want one of her suits {Check out her swimsuit line HERE}. I think they are precious beyond belief, but it looks like they are sold out!
On Saturday, I hit up Old Navy because I was drawn in by their great swimsuit sale! I should have known that when the prices are being advertised at $5 for a top and $5 for a bottom, then they must be talking bikini or something that this 32 year old would not be qualified to wear – ha! Let’s just say that it would have been a wasted trip had I not found 2 pairs of shorts on the clearance rack!
In all seriousness though, I’ve really made some progress in the whole body image area. Thankfully, the Lord has guarded me against anything really serious, but it’s hard not to feel like you don’t measure up when our culture often idolizes women who wear sizes that many of would never be able to achieve! While I certainly have my bad days, I think I’ve come a long way as far as embracing the body that God has given me and not being so critical about every bit of flab and cellulite.
I actually saw a picture posted on Facebook that I thought was great. It was the picture of a mother who had lifted up her shirt, only to reveal line after line of stretchmarks on her belly. It made me chuckle because if you posted my face on that picture, it would be me! But, those stretchmarks have been earned and it’s an outward sign that we have been incredibly blessed with children and you know I wouldn’t trade them for the world.
So, while you may see me tracking my Weight Watchers points now and again or trying some other technique to keep my weight under control, I’m not going to beat myself up too much if I never loose my baby bump or if my “bye-bye” arms get worse as I age. In the meantime, I think I may buy that one piece swimsuit from Target after all!
