A love letter to my body

Dear body,

Today marks the end of an era.

I have wasted much of our short time together

depriving you of nourishment,

pushing you to meet illusionary standards of beauty,

hoping others would validate your worth;

I know now that there is no need to apologize

for the space you take up.

For years I refused to feed you.

I thought if I kept myself busy with extracurriculars,

I would forget the ache of an empty stomach.

Pushed to the brink of anxiety attacks and exhaustion,

because I didn’t want to listen to your pleas for rest.

I am reminded, now and forevermore,

that you have always known my limits better than I do.

Too many times, you have been made to feel

like little more than an object.

You are not someone’s second choice,

late night company,

or “not now, but maybe one day”.

Many times I have blamed us

for wandering hands,

but the selfishness of other people

has never been your fault.

Despite what I or anyone else has done to hurt you,

you still wake me each morning

with a million things to be grateful for.

You allow me to watch hundreds of sunsets,

dance with reckless abandon,

and embrace each and every person I love.

So from this moment on,

I choose to love you, exactly the way that you are.

Though it sometimes feels as though they do,

no one has the power to take this home out of our hands.

That is something I will fight for,

now and forevermore.

With love,

Your mind.