I never liked my body growing up. I always compared myself to other girls in my class and to my older sister. In my community, women’s bodies were always policed- we were told to cover up and never attract any kind of attention to ourselves. This produced a lot of shame around my body and what I looked like. In 2020, after 23 years of living, I am finally learning to love my body just as it is. Wonderfully made and designed for me to enjoy the world around me. I’m thankful for my thick thighs- they help me climb mountains and swim in lakes. Every inch of my body is gorgeous just as it is- even those tummy rolls! I’m done trying to bend and squeeze and shrink to please other people. It’s so freeing to love myself and celebrate my body for all it does.