12 Comments

Kelly, always so searing and immaculate. The way you coil then spring with brevity is nonpareil. Thank you not only for the content of your writing, but for the writing itself.

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Graison, this comment means the world to me! Thank you reading so carefully and tenderly. This comment made my month. As always, thanks for being a part of this community! People like you make it so incredibly special ❤️

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Such honesty and vulnerability ♥️ I remember my mom always praising my body but criticizing her own — at 32 and childless (not by choice), I’m figuring out I learned her habits rather than her praise. It’s tough enough trying to heal yourself; I can only imagine how tough to be doing that work and raising someone else at the same time.

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Thank you for sharing that! And sending all my love. It’s wild what we pick up and how much we remember scrutiny over praise. And yes, healing is heavy work but conversations like this help so much! ❤️

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Honest, gorgeous writing, Kelly. Grace. How great that you are recognizing things early on and can shift how your daughter grows up about body image which will help you too. Kudos.

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Thank you so much! Yes, these days I am hyper aware that she is soaking it all in, so I better give her the best and all the love for us both!

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What a brave and thoughtful declaration. Your honesty is humbling and feels very familiar. I relate to so much of this. Thank you for always hitting that nail on the head. Xoxo

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You made my day. Thank you so much. Glad to be standing in ALL together <3

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Kelly, I’ve always admired how honestly you write about body image. I rarely write about it, but it affects all shapes and sizes of women—and I know men who struggle as well. For me it was being the tallest girl in my high school class. Watching guys choose shorter curvier women to fall in love with. One time I told my niece’s father I’ve always hated “The Princess and the Pea,” because it reinforces the world’s attitude that tiny, delicate women are superior. I asked him what happens when she reads that story and then grows up to be tall. His answer: “She might not end up being tall.” As in, hopefully she dodges that bullet…I wanted to slap him! She’s fourteen years old now and is 5’10” and oh so beautiful. But that conversation from 10 years ago sticks in my head. Maybe someday I’ll write poems or stories or cnf about it.

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T., agreed. I don't know a single person who doesn't struggle for whatever the reason. And thank you so much for sharing your story and I'm sorry for the world's and family's insensitvities. Wrote a poem recently and there was a line that said, "shame like storms get smaller when reported." I think this is true for anything the more we keep it inside, the more alone we often feel. Thank you SO MUCH for giving your experience air, for sharing it with me, and for continuing to write bravely and boldly no matter the topic. <3

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OMG! I love this so much. Relate to much of it as when I was a teen called, "chub-chub," when I burst out of a size 18 pants, when I peeked from behind the curtains of my apartment and watched slim, beautiful Rosalie leaning against her handsome boyfriend and I was upstairs thinking who would ever love a fatty like me.

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This simply breaks my heart. I'm sorry you ever had to feel this. Sending all my love and reinforcing that your body is BEAUTIFUL <3

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