“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanore Roosevelt
Summer time comes and bring on the anxiety! I know! Summer and anxiety. Me? Miss Should a Been a Mermaid herself? Yup their is one summer staple that will bring out the sweats and cover-ups and I possibly couldn’ts. No, I am not talking about bathing suits. I am talking about that six letter word that begins and ends with S. Shorts.
I have had a love hate relationship with shorts most of my life. Which is ironic, because I would wear them over my bathing suits when I was a preteen in an attempt to cover as much skin as possible. Even when I was in the throws of an epic eating disorder and I weighed under a hundred pounds I still hated shorts. Mostly because my eating disorder was proof I would always have thunder thighs.
Thank you ice skating.
// Hat and shirt: Anthropologie // Shorts: J-Crew // Flip-Flops: Reefs //
Another strike against them? I am short. Legally, in the states of New York and New Hampshire -and possibly the other forty-eight – I am a legal midget. So shorts make me look shorter (pun intended) emphasizing said thunder thighs and of course my cellulite.
No thank you!
Of course there are instances when you need them. Ninety Degree weather comes to mind. Or going to Storyland which is an amusement park for kids. You might get away with flashing people at Six Flags or Coney Island, but a G-rated amusement park? You will get arrested for indecent exposure! Plus when you want to just stop drop and do yoga. Shorts make it much easier then say a dress.
Thus my dilemma of needing shorts. Last year I took the plunge. I could say I was momentarily insane due to having just recovered from Lyme Disease. But the fact of the matter is I was done hiding.
I went shopping with my sister-in-law and nephew who were huge boosts to my confidence as well as honest which I appreciated. No Daisy Dukes for me! My nephew, with his mother’s fashionable backing, made sure my shorts were Carter approved. If he doesn’t like something he will tell you in a way that only a precocious three year old can. With frankness and certainty and maybe some impishness. There is no hemming and hawing with him!
I found these divine Shorts from J-Crew, called the Pull-Up Board Walk Short. Made of cotton, but with a linen feel, they are incredibly flattering hitting mid thigh, and covering my Kim K derriere. So while I knew Carter approved, and I trusted Maura’s opinion, It was still nerve wracking wearing them.
My legs have always and will always be my bad zone. The part of me that I hate.
Why?
Because they aren’t stick thin or miles long?
The fact is the body part I hate the most, is also what has made me able to jump in the air and do multiple revolutions as a skater. They are what gets me into warrior poses and springs me into handstands in yoga (and yes core helps too but lets give those legs the credit they are due) They help me run miles upon miles.
Yes they are my insecurity, but they are also my strength. They are my foundation beginning with my feet. (which better have a gorgeous pedicure on them!) They are what propel my body into motion.
They may not be Heidi Klum-esque.
They might have (a lot of) cellulite. But who doesn’t? We all have that body part we are insecure about. Whether it be legs, or stomach or heck even features on our face.
The beauty and strength is in embracing those insecurities, instead of being ashamed and hiding them. It isn’t easy. There are days when I look in the mirror and cringe and want to grab for a maxi dress or pants. But that is when I know I need to tear my walls down and rock my legs even more.
// Hat and shirt: Anthropologie // Shorts: J-Crew // Flip-Flops: Reefs // Necklace: Kate Spade //
