…On Mondays, we love and rally.
The Importance of Loving Yourself – Even When You Feel Betrayed By Your Body
One of my closest friends has a 6-year-old trans daughter. The other day, her daughter said, “Mommy…when I have my baby one day…etc, etc, etc” and my friend was gut wrenched, thinking, “what do I do with that?”
I can relate. At age 30, I learned that I am infertile and in early onset periomenopause. It was devastating since all I’ve ever wanted my entire life was to have a baby. So, I did what normal people do when they’re devastated and mad at their bodies. I nearly drank myself into an early grave. I’ve been sober more than a year and have been working on my self love in that time.
It’s taken a lot of self-soothing, self-development, therapy, and self-love to be OK. And I realize now that I am worth loving, even if my body has betrayed me.
This makes me think of disabled folk, trans folk, and maybe even just everyday, regular ole’ people who have been made to feel like their body is less-than because they don’t look like Gisele Bunchen. Maybe other folks who are infertile, who have suffered illnesses, etc.
Obviously this is not my journey, but I see a parallel here. Many of us are going to feel like our bodies betrayed us, so then how do we actively love our bodies?
In fact, I believe it’s even MORE important to fortify yourself with self-love and self-care if this is the case for you. When you feel like your body has screwed you over, it’s a MASSIVE deal to give it some tenderness. It’s a big deal to even recognize that your body doesn’t have to produce a particular outcome to deserve love. It deserves love just because it’s here.
Have you ever felt betrayed by your body? If so, what have you done to fortify yourself with love?
