Campaign Message

A lot of people mainly adolescent females still grabble so much with how people view them on the outside that they become obsessed with their body image, food and their weight. This obsession can lead to withdrawing from people; an eating disorder where they either reduce their normal intake of food or forced to engage in activities like exercising, fasting and inducing themselves to vomit. There is no need looking at yourself through the eye lens of others. You are undeniably beautiful irrespective of your weight, height, race, culture and physic. Be happy.

Some days
I am a deep brown beauty 
with eyes that speak more loudly than my words
and lips naturally, pleasantly plump
I am features that often require people to ask, “What part of Africa are you from?”
I am my grandmother’s hereditary small waist
with hips that make my relationship with jeans comically ‘complicated’
I am well proportioned
some days I am beautiful chocolate skin with few blemishes
and a figure that defies the understanding
that skin has limited elasticity after child bearing
And then there are days
where I am
shameful stretch marks
the unattractive gash in the middle of my forehead
I am the small pudge in my belly
multiplied times 20
I am forehead too large and too shiny
lips that are too big
the bruise over my right eye
and the crooked pinky finger on my left hand
There are days when wearing a size 8
does not convince me
that I am not carrying 300 pounds of weight on my 5 foot 6 inch frame
This is what body image issues looks like
on a good day
We smile at compliments
while often deflecting praise
Did you ever wonder why many of us
never seem to say “Thank you” when you offer us affirmation
Or why some of us NEVER wear clothes that seem to fit
They’re always either
too small or
too big or
too much skin showing in the wrong season of the year
We design our beauty based on
societal levels of acceptability
On a scale of 1 to 10, we see ourselves a 3
We paint ourselves a 10
and as much as you would like to believe that’s for you
it’s  not
It’s for us
For the part of our mind that tells us that we shouldn’t
That we may look too hideous for eyes to behold
That we need for someone
anyone
to tell us what our own minds will not
That the beauty that you say you see
sometimes isn’t even skin deep
Many times for us
it’s only as deep as the last compliment that our ears accepted
but our minds rejected
We are our own worst enemies
Our harshest critics
Often unaware of where the cycle began
or how to make it end
and I am blessed to know that mine is psychological
That I’ve come to the end of normalizing behaviors that are not normal
That, nowadays, I have the image of God
through which I can see my own reflection
That I choose to surround myself with those
who see beauty as more than a surface trophy to carry
That I will no longer affirm myself through the eyes of those
who are afraid to look into their own eyes and see
their own truths
their own problems
their own brokenness
I am working on the me that you can’t see
The me that has often been unable to love
my face
my smile
my curves
my hair
my eyes
The me that for so long was unable to love me
So, nowadays, I find much comfort
in speaking to myself the same way
I speak to my sisters
“You are undeniably beautiful!”
and, nowadays, more often than not
I believe it
 
 
 
 
 
By Kimberly McCrae (Redefining Freedom)
Spoken word Artist/ Poet/ Mental Health Advocate/
Self-care coach