How did fat become a feeling?

It seems silly to think back, but as a little girl I was way overly concerned with my fat. I remember getting on the scale when first hitting 80lbs and I was soooo very very upset. I remember locking myself in the bathroom and crying as I lay on the floor. To be honest, I still don't really get it. To show you just how silly this is, I have attached a picture of what I looked like at around this age. I am the girl on the left with the blue sleeveless shirt.I would look in the mirror constantly and I remember when I was even younger than this (in grade one) I would not get out of the pool without wrapping my hands around my body so that no one could see my stomach. I was close to the smallest girl in my grade up until gr 8/9 when I started to grow. Then it was disaster. I did not understand that a girl in puberty would gain body fat and as a result when my hips and chest grew my world seemed to be falling apart. I remember going to the bathroom and look down at my hips which had stretch marks and I felt an immense amount of pain. I stil don't get it. I am not quite sure why I had so much pain, I think because they were an outward symbol of what I believed was an inner fault in me.

It wasn't until about a year ago in university that I learned that women naturally have a round belly to protect their ovaries. Isn't that sad how society looks at a rounded belly as undesirable, and a flat stomach as some beautiful ideal? God created most women with that trait so that they could be protected in fulfilling part of their mission as a woman. In other words so that we could take part in God's creation of another human being!!! There is nothing more honorable that a woman can do then team up with God in creating life!!! Yet, many woman I am sure would give anything to have that coveted flat stomach.

So what is the moral of this post!? Fat is not bad, it does not make you bad. AND, just because you feel fat, does not mean that you are. Look at that picture of me. I felt so fat. Your feelings don't always tell you the truth and besides fat is not a feeling it is a highly sophisticated collection of cells. Now that is optimism at it's best!!

I love you Daddy!

Sherry