A couple of weeks ago we put out a call asking readers to submit photos of a part of the body many women spend hours trying to fix or change: their thighs. We asked for them au naturel, un-Instagrammed or Photo-shopped, accompanied by your thoughts about that part of your bodies.
Even as we clicked "publish," we suspected no one would take us up on this. Posting photos of that great night out with friends on your Facebook page is one thing; sharing your upper leg region with the whole Internet is another. And yet we wondered what the effect would be if women did send them and let us post them. In a year when the diet industry is projected to generate $65 billion in revenue, how powerful would it be for readers to show off the way real bodies look?
Readers, you stunned us. As the 19th, then 38th, then 60th thigh pic appeared in our inbox, we amassed proof that, despite all influences to the contrary, lots of women are damn proud of their bodies -- their thighs specifically -- and for what those thighs can do more than how they look.
It was a revelation and an inspiration, to the point that we wondered what other parts of their physical selves bring women pride. What area of your body has served you best over the years? What part have you worked to make the strongest? What part do you love because it reminds you of the parent or grandparent who passed it down to you? What part sometimes makes you feel, when you look in the mirror, that even if other aspects of your appearance are imperfect (inevitable), you look like a million -- maybe two?
Take a photo (G- or PG-rated, please -- use your discretion, friends) and email it to us at women@huffingtonpost.com. Accompany it with a sentence or two about why you love that part of your body. We'll post your images and captions here, so everyone else can admire and appreciate them, too.
