Thanks, body.

In the end, we only have this one.

Over the last few years I have become incredibly aware of how hard my body works to keep me alive. For starters, I never drink water so I have no idea how it still functions most days.

It amazes me how we are made up of bones, tissues, muscles and cells that all talk to each other and know their jobs. This body gets me through my best and worst days. This body has survived years of competitive dance and pageants— which is a miracle on its own. It’s survived my own thoughts of comparison, unkind words and squeezing into molds that didn’t fit. And it’s still here, working every day to keep me alive.

Besides its everyday functions, I’ve put my body through a lot. I think we all do it. We ignore, we distract, we deflect. Maybe we drink too much, settle for too little and stay for too long. There are nights we don’t remember clearly where the biggest miracle is making it home. There are moments that are fuzzy that we wish weren’t. There are relationships and friendships that we should have walked away from sooner. Whether physical, emotional, mental or psychological, I have put myself in unsafe positions at multiple points. What has amazed me is how I’ve been able to process and bounce back. And I know I’m not alone in this.

Realizing how resilient my body is has made me grateful and so much more comfortable in my own skin. It’s hard to be unkind to a body that shows up for me every day. I didn’t expect gratitude or comfort to come from this realization.

I also didn’t expect to want to take care of my body like I do now. I spend a little extra time in the shower to slow down, dry brush, exfoliate and use my favorite products; getting some movement in doesn’t feel like a chore; I crave food that fuels me. It hasn’t always been like this. Some days I still struggle with where I’m at vs. where I want to be but I can confidently say this is the most comfortable I have ever been in my own skin. The biggest shift was being genuinely grateful for the bones, tissues, muscles and cells that I have to work with.

If you’ve been hard on yourself lately, I hope this can be a moment for you to be a little kinder to the body that carries you through your best and worst days. Maybe that looks like going on a walk without your phone or spending a few extra minutes slowing down your shower routine. It could look like a yummy dinner, wearing something that makes you feel good or being nicer to yourself in your head. Thoughts become things, baby!

For me today, being kinder to my body means drinking water. :)

In the end, we only have this body.

xx K

P.S. Take a shot every time I say “body”.

Song of the week:

Play this song while you read for a dramatic experience.