I feel like someone else, some other mama, needs to hear this too…
— If the moment is worthy enough for a photo, then don’t look at the picture and reduce it based on how you look —
When our babies were dedicated to The Lord, a photo was taken of us. In pure joy, possible tears at that moment. I was holding Ezrah, our third baby, and with our beautiful strong girl next to me. When I saw it I teared up because our church captured such a moment that I won’t get back, right before stepping out publicly saying “Lord, they are yours!”
In the comments there was a man, laughing.
Why would he be laughing at us during such a beautiful time?
Then insecurity flooded my body. In such a way us women know so well when a not so lovely angled photo is taken of our bodies.
Carrying this fourth baby I am already the heaviest I’ve ever been and learning to fall in love with this new process is just as important to me as the other three. I want to love pregnancy and not be scared of weight.
—ANYWAYS—
I’m sharing this because guess who wins when I decide to hide from this: him.
“Him” being society, diet/skinny culture, and insecurity and I don’t want to live my life or this pregnancy like that.
I want to be present.
I want memories captured and moments I’ll never get back – like that day we dedicated our children to The Lord and promising that we will be better parents to raise His children.
When I’m dying is that what’s going to matter to me? The not so great angled photo? Or better yet will it be THEM? The babies I birthed and want to raise loving themselves and others, The ones I do it all for?
Is it going to be loving and living life regardless of how much weight I’ll gain during this pregnancy or how it’s captured in photos?
This isn’t about sympathy – it is a reminder for the next time YOU have that thought, or see that tag on a photo: check that mental self-destruction and leave it behind.
Our kids don’t take a photos and ask to see it because they want to judge us – they live in the moment and want to celebrate that….and at one point, so did we.
You.
Me.
We learned somewhere we “should” look a certain way, but friend — there is utterly zero upside to being down on yourself, so don’t.
You are so worthy, my Sister in Christ.
