The "Real" Woman

I am just going to come out with it and say what every other woman in America is thinking. It is hard to be a woman in today's society. With the mainstream media always showing us pictures of unrealistic expectations of what we SHOULD look like, it's a wonder us women haven't gone completely crazy by now. Am I right or am I right? Well, today, while browsing through Facebook, I noticed a picture that was posted of a "Plus-sized" model walking the Runway with a caption saying, "Thank God for Real Women." I am going to be perfectly honest with you… I "liked" the picture. After I did so, I began to think about that caption. I asked myself what a "Real" woman is supposed to look like. While I understand the reasoning behind this certain post, I asked myself the question, "Are only women of plus-sized figure, or curves on their bodies considered real women?"

I have shared my weight-related issues and how I have been from one end of the spectrum to the other. From the feedback that I have received once starting this blog, I know that I am not alone. Putting my personal weight issues aside, I would like to share a conversation that I had with someone who is very close to me. This person (who will remain anonymous) has always been very thin, petite, and for lack of a better word, skinny. I'll be honest, I have always been a little jealous of her because of her incredibly high metabolism, which she comes by naturally due to her genetic makeup. This is something that I have never had and have had to adjust my lifestyle in order to maintain a healthy weight. I got to thinking about how this person would feel if she were made fun of for being "too skinny" or an unrealistic-looking woman. So, being the straight-forward person that I am, I asked her if she has ever felt insecure about being skinny. She was really honest with me and shared something very personal. She said that in the past she has felt insecure about how thin she was, and even to this day it bothers her. She does not like being called, "too skinny" or "little". She explained to me that she knows that sounds weird, but it's how she feels. She also shared with me that she wishes that she could gain weight, but it is extremely hard for her due to her genetically high metabolism. This response kind of got me thinking how many times we women weight-shame other women for being too skinny. I don't blame this person at all for feeling the way she feels because no one likes to feel like they aren't good enough for people or that they are less of a human being for not being a certain way that society wants them to be. Then I posed the question to myself, "Can a woman who is thin-framed be a real woman, also?" Of course they can be! The truth of the matter is, real women come in all shapes and sizes. That is the beautiful thing about our Creator. He did not make one person alike, yet we are all made in his image. Every single woman, young lady, and girl is a real person- with real feelings.

I share this incredibly real entry with you not to point fingers at anyone, or to make it seem like I am saying thin-framed women are better. I write this because this is what was on my heart today. I want our society to stop looking at a certain size. Beauty comes in all shapes and sizes. What matters to me is being healthy. As crazy as it sounds, health is not a "one size fits all" kind of deal, either. I have said this so many times before, and that is health is way more than the size of your jeans, or the number on the scale. I think it is about time we women come together and start encouraging each other and lifting each other up in Christ's name, instead of bringing each other down with hurtful words. Remember, you are uniquely and wonderfully designed by our Creator and therefore you are all REAL and BEAUTIFUL women.