Of Cankles and Saddlebags

While we were dating, my husband, apropos of nothing, told me that I had fat ankles.  Can you believe that I married him anyways?  Sadly, however, he was not wrong; no ankle bracelets for me.  Years later I heard the term cankle for the first time, and it occurred to me that society might be more concerned with my ankles than I was.  Of all the body parts to worry about, this doesn’t make the top of my list (except when I put on crop pants).

Like most women, I have many body parts that I would gladly change if I could.  My husband has been instructed that if I ever break my nose and am unconscious, he should have it reset smaller.  And I am holding out hope that, like my mom, my breasts will grow after menopause.  We won’t talk about my middle-age-spreading waist, but suffice to say it made it into my blog’s name.  But I am realistic and know that, sans surgery, there are many things I just cannot change about my body no matter how much I exercise or diet.

Some parts provoke a love/hate relationship.  Like my butt.  Even at my thinnest, my derriere is round and bigger than average.  It sticks out behind me like a little bustle.  It makes it challenging to buy pants.  For years I wished it was smaller.  But at some point I realized that I actually like having some roundness; my friend is flat back there and hates it.  And my husband has sung my butt’s praises for years.  He also appreciates that I actually have an (almost) hourglass figure, another thing I have mixed feelings about (and that is usually undetectable under my typically shapeless clothes).  I like that I curve in and out – I just wish there was a lot more curving out on top, and more curving in at the middle, and, of course, a bit less bottom althogether.  Barbie I am not.

But (no pun intended), today I actually want to focus on the positive.  We all have something we like – it might be something we wouldn’t normally focus on.  For example, I have great naturally shaped eyebrows.  You can’t see them unless I add color since they are pretty fair, but that also means you can’t see the few strays hanging out below.  And I have strong fingernails.  And, as my mother-in-law says, “neat” feet.  The fronts of my thighs are nice and firm (and we won’t focus on the other angles).  And, always lipstickless, I think I have nicely shaped lips.  And I have broad, but not too broad, shoulders.  I know those don’t sound like much, but I think it’s progress just to recognize that I don’t dislike everything about my body.

I invite you to join me in a celebration of the body parts that we DO like.  Everybody has something.  Think about it.  Applaud it.  And if you want to, share it here.