Every day after lunch I send my two oldest girls, Ginny and Grace, to their room for "quiet" time. Before I became a parent, I envisioned this time as nap time for them and quiet and peace for me. However, Grace is not allowed to nap. If she takes a nap, she won't go to sleep at night. So, quiet time became a time for me to have some quiet while my girls play together. You do whatever works when you become a parent. Trust me!
Quiet time is not always as peaceful as I hope. The girls sometimes argue over a toy they both want to play with or they spend the time jumping, loudly. After two hours, quiet time comes to an end, and the girls emerge from their room naked (although they do keep their underwear/diaper on).
Every. Single. Time.
I need to rename quiet time. I should call it what it really is, naked time.
I love that my girls enjoy being naked. They love their bodies and don't feel shame in them or worry about what they look like. I witnessed my oldest look at herself naked in the mirror and say, "I have a cute butt, Mommy." Oh, to be young and confident again.
I thought I would try to be as confident as my little girls. Granted, I won't be walking around my house naked today (to the great disappointment of my husband), but rather, I thought I would share 10 things I like about my body.
1. My boobs
I have a love/hate relationship with "my girls." They are large; making it hard to find tops that fit and don't look like muumuus. That said, they fit my frame perfectly. I also love that I've been able to easily nurse each of my girls.
2. The shape of my mouth
The shape of my mouth communicates how I'm feeling at a given moment. From a smile to a frown to a grimace to sticking out my tongue.
3. My fingers
I use my fingers to type the words I write. They help me tell the stories I want to share. My lovely fingers also hold my wedding and engagement rings, symbols of the love I have for my husband, Chris. These fingers touch my daughters every day. Sometimes they tickle them and other times wipe away tears.
4. My arms
While I'm not thrilled that I've recently developed bat wings (what's up with that?), my strong arms not only can lift my children, but comfort them. My arms give and receive hugs to the people I love.
5. I'm tall.
I'm taller than I ever wanted to be. At the age of 10, I decided I wanted to only be 5'6″, tall without being too tall. I exceeded that by 2.5 inches. My height means I can reach most things easily. I can also kiss my husband without hurting my neck. Bonus.
6. My stomach
Okay, I'll be honest. I hate the appearance of my stomach. It's squishy and fat. However, I loved my stomach when I was pregnant. My pregnant tummy was firm and carried precious cargo, my three precious girls. Now when I look at my stomach, I remember why my stomach lost its firmness and I've accepted it. (Though, I'll keep fantasizing about having a tummy tuck someday.)
7. My face
In 1996, after attempting suicide, my cheekbones and nose were broken. The bottom of one eye socket was broken badly enough that a plastic surgeon had to fix it. To this day, when I look at my face, I'm thankful when I see my slightly misshapen nose and look at my imperfect eye.
8. My right leg
My suicide attempt didn't just damage my face. In fact, I came very close to losing my right leg below my knee. After a surgery to repair my shattered right hip, I developed compartment syndrome causing my right calf to swell like a balloon. The doctors told my parents they would likely need to amputate. Miraculously, they were able to save my leg, but had to remove 40 percent of the muscle in my leg and left me with ugly scars. It isn't the prettiest leg, but I love that I can still walk on it.
9. My eyes
I think I have pretty eyes. When I put on makeup, I love to play them up. Not only that, but my eyes let me gaze on the beauty of the world as well as my family -- my three little girls, my sweet dog, and my husband.
10. My ears
Without my ears, I would miss out on the sounds in my house. Granted, there are days when Ginny and Grace drive me nuts and I want to block out the sounds. Most days, though, I get to listen to laughter. Lots and lots of laughter from my girls to my husband to me.
In the end, with all its faults, I do like my body for what it gives me and allows me to do in my life.
This post originally appeared on Adventures of a Jayhawk Mommy. To read more from Denise, follow her on Facebook.