I turn this way, I turn that way, and no matter which way I look, I see... stretch marks! My big 'ol belly is far bigger than it's ever been and the scale has tipped farther than it's ever fallen. UGH! I have never been blessed with a body that took change well. College hit me hard, bad eating habits and even worse physical fitness, the end result +20 pounds. Instead of loosing weight before I got married, the stress took it's toll, another +5 pounds. Moved to Arizona, another +5 pounds. Had a my first child, +10 pounds. Now being pregnant again and due in 5 weeks, we're looking at +25 more pounds, and I'm hoping it's more baby than belly this time. I vow to take a picture of the scale on the day I go into the hospital to give birth, and on the photo write a reminder that I will never see that high of a number again. I realize that when I carry my daughter around the house, the soles of my feet carry over 200 pounds, it's not a wonder why I feel the way I do right now. The consolation to this dilemma is that I have control over my weight, and when the time comes, I will be running off every pound I've gained. With my future in hand, I plan to run a half marathon in just a year and in two years a full blown marathon. I've talked about running so much that I've put myself on the chopping block. If I don't go through with it, I'd feel pretty dumb; yet another motivating factor for me in taking charge of my physical health and being a good role model for my children.
But the fact remains that even if I loose all of the weight and get physically fit, I will still have to look at these stretch marks! Is it not the biggest complaint of the aging population? "Just look at these marks! Look at these scars, and look at these wrinkles!" No one likes them, but as I think more about the situation, staring in the mirror, and taken aback as to how large they've become, I see a truth and a certain beauty along with the ugliness. Sure, they'll never go away, but they'll fade and get lighter. Each time I look at them or anyone else with matching stretch marks, we'll know we have something in common... the beauty of one of God’s greatest miracles, children.
Each scar, furrow, crows feet, wrinkle and stretch mark has been earned; some not so pleasantly as others. With each laughing moment and joyous occasions, we use 17 muscles in our face that lead to these beauteous crows feet and a whopping 43 muscles with each sorrow (according to the old saying). It’s no wonder that after a person goes through a huge, life changing and challenging event that the individual pulls through, at times, looking much older than before. These fine lines and wrinkles are a reminder to us each day of how much we have lived through and endured in our short time here on earth.
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| My Testimonial |
So I will try with all of my might as my belly grows for another 4 ½ weeks, to remember that the end result is worth more than a flat, flawless belly (which I didn’t have in the first place). In fact, a few stretch marks and a few hours of intense labor is a small price to pay for these little God-given miracles that I will have running around my house. I have made it a priority to remind those I care for, of the simple beauty of carrying one of these defining marks. That it's a true testament to what we’ve all achieved and gone through so far, and to wear them proudly, for it is part of us!
As the old saying goes...
“It takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 to smile,
but it doesn't take any to just sit there with a dumb look on your face."
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