My body has a tough time processing sugar. Sugar makes me sick in about a dozen ways, and that frustrates the crap out of me because I’d really like to just eat a cookie once in a while.
My body steadfastly refuses to relinquish its fat stores in my upper arms, lower abs, and butt. I can lose another 20 pounds from my current weight, bike to work for months, and lift weights daily and I’d still have those specific squishy bits.
My body challenges me with copious body hair and acne, insomnia and back pain, cellulite, migraines, keratosis pilaris, and chronic heartburn.
But I am so, so, SO grateful for my body.
Because I can walk at least nine miles in flats without batting an eye. And at least two in wedges.
Because I can rock a full skirt like nobody’s business.
Because I can give my unruly mop of hair a dreadful haircut, and it will generally bounce right back in a few weeks.
Because I can bike and bike and bike and bike.
Because I can wear the bright colors that scare many women, and look positively radiant.
Because I can shovel snow like a pro. Even if I’m not as FAST as my husband, I can keep up with him in shoveling volume. And people, Minnesota snow is heavy.
Because I can sing for a good two hours before becoming hoarse.
Because I can wear every fiber imaginable without getting itchy or allergic, all heels 3″ and under, and absolutely anything that is bright, bright red.
Because I can stand on a wheeled chair to reach the boots that live on top of my armoire, and never lose my balance.
Because I can hike and climb, wrestle and roll, explore and endure using only this frustrating, flawed, and undeniably amazing body.
It is so easy to focus on the things that your body refuses to do for you, and ignore the things that it does for you daily, silently, uncomplainingly, and gracefully. So easy to feel slighted and cheated instead of grateful and blessed. So consider this your nudge:
What about your body makes you grateful?
Image courtesy sean dreilinger.
{ 61 comments… read them below or add one }
My body isn’t perfect. I stand five feet high, my allergies give me terrible hyperpigmentation when my cat’s fleas bite my legs, and I can never lose the fat on my arms and legs, no matter how hard I try. But my body is also very well-proportioned – everything is just the right length, despite my height. My body gets a nice even tan after a day at the beach instead of turning bright red. (Properly sunscreened, of course) And I am grateful for being blessed with 34B boobs!
Hmm…I’m happy that mine’s got rhythm. I let it dance wherever it wants to, even if it’s just subtly following the west coast swing rhythm of whatever blues-rock tune they’re playing in Trader Joe’s on Sunday morning.
I am grateful that my body hardly ever gets sick.
I can wear pretty much any hair color, my skin tone still looks good.
I can do 12 pushups! (A huge accomplishment for me)
I can wear any type of shoe and my legs still look hot!
I have the same problem about sugar. And a bunch of other food substances – subject to changes and inclarities that make it impossible to divine what I should eat. It’s utterly frustrating.
But yeah, I guess I’m grateful for my body too. Because it’s petite, so I can alter everything to fit me if it doesn’t in the first place. Because it has learnt to walk, even dance, in heels. And a bunch of the things you say, too.
This is good question that I really needed to consider and take inventory. My body is resilent to being sick, weather gives my curly mop charachter, I am able to wear the bright colors I love, I am able to do any activity that I want to as for the most part my body is in good shape and while it might complain later of the activity it allows me to push through during. My face is clear and my complexion allows me to wear no make up except for eye and still feel beautiful. I am also proud of my smile too
I can’t believe I came up with so much, Thanks Sal 
Sal, first of all, you rock! Great post this dreary morning! Second, thank you for the reminder that we are all awesome in our own unique ways:)
I’m grateful for my lovely feet that every pedicurist (title??) swoons over. Thanks mom! While there are days I long for thick and curly hair, I will never fret about humidity nor ever need a straightening iron. I love my curves that were made more lucious by growing a baby four years back. I love that I can bake a mean three-layer cake from scratch (frosting included) that will make your tongue slap your brains out. I also love that with this body and mind and heart I’ve built a happy little family that I love coming home to each and every day.
Thanks for this lovely post, Sally! I’m grateful that my body allows me to yoga it up, curves and all. I’m also grateful that it indulges me in cuddle time with hubs and pups, walks me around in this glorious weather and totally gets down when my fav song comes on the radio.
Dealt with the sugar thing all my life. Have learned a lot about how to deal with the problem and even went to nursing school to solidify my desire to learn about that and other things about my body. Every person should be taught about the amazing functions of the human body. Then maybe we wouldn’t destroy what we cannot get back.
Thanks so much for this post. Today, I’m feverish and miserable, but I am thankful that my body is able to combat illness.
I stand at 4ft 11in and for some reason a majority of people find this “cute”. For that I am grateful.
Love the b/w checks and hot pink, lovely!
Have a beautiful day.
This is something I think about a lot. I’m small and I used to be physically weak, but I take care of the elderly and now I can lift a person who is bigger and heavier than I am. I can roll someone almost twice my size. I walk several miles every day at my job, and I can deal with all kinds of gross bodily fluids, then go and eat my lunch
Knowing this helps me feel better when I’m having one of those days where all I want to do is fixate on my flaws. So what if I have little fat pad on my belly when I’m so strong from doing valuable work?
Great post Sally!!! You always have the most inspirational posts on here, it’s a great boost in the morning – more uplifting than my morning coffee!
I am grateful because my body is strong. I surprise people, even my husband with how strong I can be – I can open pickle jars, carry heavy kayaks and sling them to the roof of the car. I can carry a 28 lb baby and 6 bags of groceries, walk five miles without needing a break, go through 4 days of labor and five months with less than 4 hours of sleep each day.
And I love your bit about your hair – I am the same with mine and love my body because I can rock even the most dreadful hair cut – my head makes lemons out of lemonade.
Great post this morning, as I am worn out from working and needed a boost!! On that note, I’m thankful for a body that helps me work 2 jobs and go to school while we plan for a family. I am thankful for my legs that can carry me anywhere I want to go, in whatever shoes I want to wear. I’m grateful for my arms that can give big hugs to my loved ones and pets. I’m even thankful for my little potbelly because it proves I’ve had lots of good meals with great people.
I always at least glance at what you’re wearing in Reader, but I couldn’t *not* comment today. I have a metabolic disorder, and danged if those first few sentences don’t describe my body. I’m trying to settle on a “goal” weight right now, and it’s hard, because even when I was a too-thin runner/power lifter, I lacked the definition my other power lifting friends had.
I too have hair that rarely fails me, eyes that were compared to Liz Taylor’s (sniff, sniff…), and even though they make wearing trousers almost impossible, I love my strong, muscular legs.
What a happy post on this wet, snowy morning. I’m grateful that my body
Can drive a stick shift
Can spring clean my apartment
Can go to a job to make money to support me
Can be around sick co-workers all day and never get a cold
Can have an orgasm any time I try to give it one
Can walk in 4-inch heels without batting an eye
Thank you, body!
Thank you you’ve helped so much with this post. x
i love that my lungs could cope with pulmonary embolisms when i was throwing clots a few years ago – i was sick as a dog, but didn’t drop dead before they diagnosed the clot and got me treated.
My body is actually pretty awesome. It survived six years of me abusing and starving it, and bounced back nicely. It rarely gets sick, and very often throws off even severe diseases making the rounds with one night of ferocious, hallucinatory fever. It’s very strong, flexible, enduring and resilient. It may be “too fat” by current standards, but its proportions are good and it has excellent shoulders and well-shaped legs. It dances. It has mighty muscles under the fat. It has clever hands. It has eyes that change colour in the right light, and very cooperative hair, and good skin. It is warm and soft and attracts cuddling.
What a great post.
I have real challenges with my body and I am grateful that it enables me so much.
love, light and blessings xx
Beautiful post! After be-moaning the winter weight gain that just won’t seem to go away (running season, where are you??? not until the snow stops!)… I thought this was a good exercise for me to do too, to get things back in perspective: I am grateful to my body because:
- it has allowed me to conceive and carry two healthy boys
- I still pick up my 35 and 45 pounds kids (though not at the same time!)
- the broad shoulders and hips and small waist make for a nice hourglass
- i too can shovel the heavy NE snow
- I can run a 10K in an hour
- I can chase and catch a kid threatening to run into traffic
- I can walk, run, climb, drive, hike, paddle, ski and do pretty much anything I set my mind to
- I can see and enjoy the beauty around me
- I can taste and hold all manner of wonderful foods.
- i have come to love my big blue eyes and full lips and dark blonde hair – i will never be a mediterranean beauty, but that’s ok!
Boy, I could just keep going and going – there’s really no end to the list (but I’ll echo the comment above about orgasms and leave it at that!)
My body bore two children without giving me much crap about it! So I figure we are about even for small boobs and short legs.
I am grateful that my body has brought three lovely beings into the world. I am grateful that my body is still going even though I treat it like s#*t…
Thank you for this post. It’s easy to forget the positives when you focus on the negatives that reflect in the mirror. I needed this.
I love my body because… lately I’ve delved into help for a lifelong compulsive eating disorder, and I realized last week that my body hasn’t given up on me, even though I’ve spent the last three decades giving up on it. (I’m uncomfortable much of the time, in pain every night from carrying the extra weight, and I can’t stand the thought of spending the next ten years like this.)
I’ve started being nicer to my body, and it’s responded amazingly, in just a few short weeks! Hooray for my body!
Growing up, one of my role models was my Aunt Caryl, who as a 19 year old college student, was injured in a car accident and paralyzed. She used a wheelchair for the rest of her eventful life, and never took for granted the things her body could still do.
She got a graduate degree in Psychology back in the days when women didn’t usually get graduate degrees, let alone women with limited mobility. To get upstairs for classes at the university in a building with no elevators, she had to snag a couple of strong guys (always a glass-half-full sort, she saw this as a plus) to carry both her and her wheelchair up to the 2nd floor.
Yet she drove, owned a home, had a rich social life, and worked for county mental health services, helping others. I went to college in the same town in which she lived and spent a lot of time in her company, and she often told me, without regret, but with some envy, to enjoy my mobility, my strength, my youth. That was such a gift for a young, insecure woman. Now as a 40-something woman, I still need to hark back to those lessons pretty often.
I’ve got teenage daughters myself now, and they’ve got some of the usual discomfort with newly-mature bodies that most girls experience. And they hear about Aunt Caryl a lot, probably more than they want to.
Wow, Kristina, this was truly amazing. Thank you for telling us about your wonderful aunt. This has touched me more than I can explain.
What a wonderful message to read this morning! I blogged my answer to your question because it moved me so much. I love my body for the fact that it found out about a disease it has and yet has bounced back and healed more than I ever thought possible. With a body like that, how could I not do anything but show extreme love for my body…. It is now my life’s purpose.
I’m grateful that I can carry my 60 lb. 8 year old on my back when she gets tired.
I’m grateful that I have super sensitive senses that constantly inform me about the world.
I’m grateful that I’m strong and soft at the same time.
I’m grateful for great hair.
I’m grateful that my hand fits perfectly into my husband’s hand.
I’m grateful that I can whistle, sing, dance, and laugh (loudly!).
Ruth, thank you for “strong and soft at the same time” — me too, and that is a beautiful way to put it.
I am grateful that I have two arms, two legs, 10 fingers, and 10 toes. And they all work, along with my eyes and ears!! I am also grateful that people often mistake me for someone 5-10 years younger than I actually am.
What a lovely post! My body hates MSG and revolts against it in very creative ways. I’m grateful for my body because it can run, because it can paint, because it stands tall, and because it can trim a tree and gut a yard like nobody’s business.
My body’s ability to tell me loud and clear when it needs rest makes me grateful.
what a fantastic post! i will definitely think of it next time i am feeling pms-y and sorry for myself!
I’m grateful that in spite of years of abuse ( weight gain, loss, gain), my body is hanging in there. I can walk , swim, dance, and most importantly hug at my pleasure.
I love being curvy (even when I want to lose weight), and that I can wear any colour but bright orange. Inspite of auburn hair & green eyes, I never get sunburned. I guess I’m happy with the genetic inheritance mom & dad gave me!
I am gateful for how resilient my body is, even when things get tough. I love the thick, dark red/brown hair that hairstylists always comment on, which is a throwback to my Scottish heritage. I love that my body can carry me through a workout, every time, no matter how lazy I’ve been inbetween. Lastly, I love the way my curves fill in the pretty wedding dress I bought last weekend and turn it into something more than a whole lot of bridal tulle and lace. Oh, and the mind that urged me to speak up when I met Mr. Right!
Great post, thanks so much for this important reminder!
I carried a beautiful baby! I was constantly amazed by having 2 hearts beating in my body (mine and baby’s) and the fact that for that brief period of time, I have the sex organs of male and female! (Yup, baby boy!) That baby is now a 21 yr old college senior, he is 6’5″ with a beautiful, strong body of his own. I may have stretch marks, moles, squishy parts, etc, but I LOVE my body!
And if I ever need reminding of how beautiful I am, I read “Phenomenal Woman” a poem by Maya Angelou!
Self appreciation is so important! What a fabulous post. I’ve been focusing on positives & mentally minimizing negatives this year as my main 2011 goal, & it is truly amazing all the wonderful things I am learning to appreciate about myself because of it.
I love that my body reacts strongly to food & things that are not healthy, so that it makes it easier for me to make healthy decisions for myself, including getting enough sleep, eating right, & exercising often.
I love that I am really emotionally & physically healthy & hearty, I love my curves, my big brown eyes, & my slightly crooked smile.
I love my mind & the way it works, & the way it compliments my husband’s so well!
Thanks for this post, as always it is excellent food for thought.
Okay, seriously? Get off that wheeled chair; get another chair or stool so you can reach your boots. Your body will thank you. Even the best bodies don’t defy gravity, and there is no knowing what may upset a wheeled chair (pets, earthquakes, sudden loud noises – you get the idea).
My body makes me grateful because it’s still there, and the various aches and pains don’t hang around overlong (they swap places, but that’s another issue).
I got to this 3 days late, but when I read Sal’s post, I made sure to read all the comments before posting my own: Marsha: THANK YOU for the advice to Sal about that wheeled chair, done more humorously and convincingly than I could have. Sal, PLEASE! Don’t do that!
As for me: I am grateful that my body doesn’t feel all that much different now, 25 yrs later, than my theoretical prime. That it can run, doesn’t get sick much, feels physically better after a good laugh, responds to reasonable diet modifications with reasonable weight loss. I’ve felt grateful that I never disliked my body, even when my teenage friends complained about their big nose (not one in my crowd of friends: where do they GET this?), or lopsided boobs, or offered “I feel fat” whines. I was always less sympathetic than I should have been; I just didn’t get that particular form of self criticism (don’t get me started on a few other types, though).
A great post, esp. for someone who wasn’t feeling particularly grateful before reading it. Thanks!
This is a great post, really awesome to get other readers to tell what they like best!
I’m grateful that my health problems have always been minor.
I appreciate that my stomach problems keep me from eating fast food, and control my portion sizes whether I like it or not.
I like that weight ends up on my hips, not my stomach. A little chocolate cake there, a lot of pasta on the other side.
I love my voice and wish I sang more.
I love being able to pick up on tunes without trying, I hear the notes and the harmonies that should go along with them.
I love my eyes, and the color of my hair. It’s a mix of my parents and that makes me so happy. Blue green eyes with hazel around the middle, and dark blonde hair with a red tint in the sun.
And I am committed to making myself stronger and healthier this year, if for no other reason than to make sure I always feel my best.
I am grateful for the strong, muscular legs that carry me wherever I need to go. The hips that make me dance. The hands that let me type and paint and sculpt. The eyes that see all the beauty around me. The breasts that provide a soft place to rest the head of someone I love. The ridiculous pain tolerance that lets me push it further and surprises me with my strength.The way my body wraps around another body to revel in love and physical comfort. This body isn’t perfect, but it’s mine and I cherish it for the life it gives me.
Three perfect babies, and three solid years of breastfeeding.
when I look at the resulting flaws I remember that most of them are related to the above, and I try to be grateful.
What a wonderful post! I love how you rock a full skirt too.
I am grateful for my 5’10″ frame and fairly slender figure even after having four children.
I am grateful for no maintenance hair that is thick and full and a fabulous color.
I am grateful that after ten years of trying, my body finally can run a 5k without feeling like my heart will pop out of my chest.
I am grateful to be able to walk and walk and walk and walk (but only in a good supportive pair of shoes).
I can’t tan and that was a source of embarrassment as a child but am thankful now for great skin.
Thanks for inspiring us to think about whats good about us!!
I hate that I’m squishy and jiggly. But I’m grateful for why, 4 healthy happy babies in 9 years. I love that I’m still decently flexible, able to make it through a zumba class without too much complaining from my body. It’s ability to fight off colds and hardly ever get ‘really’ sick. I love my hair which is great at taking styling, coloring, and perming. I’m also grateful that I can wear my favorite color, blue, and feel fabulous in it at all times.
Great post indeed. My mum is seriously ill so that makes me grateful that I can walk quickly around her house, drive, pick up things from the floor, open jars etc. Seeing the contrast in our abilities makes me sad and grateful at the same time. (And pretty committed to working on preventing myself from getting the same thing!)
I’m grateful that my body will haul the wheelbarrows, shove the lawnmowers and heft the hedgetrimmers necessary for my job.
I’m grateful that my body really enjoys food and drink but doesn’t make me crave them overmuch.
I’m grateful that I’m slim with nice small boobs and a fab bum. And I like being short too, although I’m not a fan of people saying I’m ‘cute’ because of it, as that’s usually an excuse to patronise me.
I’m echoing the orgasm gratitude too …
I know this is supposed to make me think about what I like about MY body, but first I wanted to point out that your waist should be on your list. I admire your tiny waist.
Oh fine, I’ll go think about all the things that my body can do that make up for its stick-figurey lack of shape.
I love my plus size body. It’s taken me years to be able to say that, but I do.
I love that I have a lap that can comfortably hold two four-year-olds while reading a story.
I love that sitting on the floor is pretty much second nature to my body and I’ll happily give up my seat to someone else (if it’s a clean floor).
I love that I can defy the stereotypes that people have about fat women.
I love that I had a very physical job in which I barely sat down for eight hours and this body sustained me.
I love gardening, and painting, and making jewelry, and am so thankful that my hands, while can’t catch a ball for the life of them, can do other creative pursuits.
I love my mind even more so now that it’s come out of about eight months of deep depression. It’s amazing what I can overcome. I love getting help so I can recognize when it might happen again and take steps to take care of it.
I love that my skin has finally calmed down (after years of acne) and I get compliments all the time on my “peaches and cream” complexion.
I love learning about new ways of moving my body and getting to a healthier place through exercise (for both my mental and physical health.)
After a night of insomnia, this was just what I needed today. Thanks!
I’m grateful for abs that respond to working out (my thighs never will, I have come to accept it, like you and your arms.) I’m grateful for my young looking face, which I finally appreciate after 25 years of being told, “You’ll be grateful when you’re older!” I’m grateful for being short, because leg room is never an issue, even in coach. Grateful for strength and energy to do “dance party” for indoor recess with my first graders, and not run out of breath after half an hour of doing the Cupid Shuffle.
As a side note, I am grateful for your blog. It’s always a happy stop on my internet travels. Thank you for celebrating fashion as something more than a guilty pleasure!
I can go outside in the sun for thirty minutes and come back a bit tanner, and rarely ever peel (I do wear sunscreen)
I have no food allergies.
My legs may be short and unattractive, but I have yet to reach the point where I simply cannot walk any longer. I may be slow, but I’m blessed with endurance.
Wow! I spend so much time thinking about what I don’t like about my body; it never occurred to me to address it with gratitude. I’m mostly bitter at my body because it won’t get pregnant. But I’m letting that go for the moment. I’m grateful to my body because it still gets up off the floor after a session with a preschooler with relative ease. I’m grateful to my body because it fits my husband’s perfectly! I was thinking specifically of cuddling but, hey, that comment could refer to other things, too. I’m grateful to my body because my fingers can play the piano. That’s not something I do often but I can and I’m glad of it. I’m grateful to my body because it has eyes that devour books! So, so, grateful that I have my sight! I’m grateful to my body because it is mine. Created just for me, by God.
Sal, for me you’ve really outdone yourself on this post. I commend you for acknowledging your squishy bits while also acknowledging your awesome bits. Thank you.
Ohhhh. Thank you for this post. What a great example of how important an honest evaluation of our strengths and weaknesses is really. Thanks for the reminder!
I’m grateful my body has allowed me to birth my two boys. I’m grateful my body allows me to keep up with them. I’m grateful my body allows me to rock my grandmother’s jewelry.
Sal! Thank you so much for this post! Just what I needed to hear today. And probably tomorrow too. And also? Thank you for sharing your own body challenges – because when I look at you I see a perfect, easy-to-clothe body and I needed that reminder that everybody struggles with something.
I’m grateful that my body puts up with sitting at desk all day and I can still come home and dance at night. That the recurring back pain I get from various posture abuses is easily taken care of with a little exercise. That my skin is healthy and beautiful. That my hair is thick, long, and a wonderful auburn color – naturally! That I’m not really allergic to anything and have no chronic health problems. That’s a LOT to be grateful for!
Two decades ago, I had a dance teacher that had the class do a similar exercise as this one, and it has always stayed with me. Thank you for this post.
I am grateful that my body works so hard that the women in hip hop push my ass to the front of class when the teacher’s a no-show.
I am relieved that, after 35 years, I finally learned how to rock my Jewfro.
And here’s to my remaining breast, cancer-free for four years!
What a wonderful post! Sometimes it’s hard to think of our bodies as strong and beautiful…Especially when you have chronic pain. But it’s vital to look at all the things our bodies CAN do instead of can’t. Thank you for such an inspiration post!
xoxo
L
I love that I was born with straight teeth.
I love that this body grew two babies inside its own.
I love that this body nourished those two babies with milk of its own making.
I love that his body automatically starts to hum when it hears a familiar tune, no matter where it is or what other people think.
I’m late to the party, but I wanted to thank you for this wonderful post.
I love how absurdly small my baby toes are.
I love how my body feels when I dance.
I love that my body can grow and feed babies.
I love that my arms and back can lift more than you’d think from looking at me.
Beautiful post! I love that I can move my own furniture all by myself into a million different configurations just because I want to. I’ll have to think about this more. Also, thanks for the link love! Your blog is simply wonderful!
I love my super thick, silky and jet black hair, and my naturally tan Indian skin that I get tons of compliments on. It makes me look at least 4-5 years younger than I am. I also love that I am quite strong, and yeah, my body kind of reacts funny to sugar too. It helps that I dont care for anything sweet…..I just pretend to understand when my girlfriends absolutely go nuts over chocolate, ice cream and cake (he he).
On a side note…..just a bit about heartburn. I suffered from serious heartburn since my pregnancy 3 years ago. I was on meds pretty much the whole time. I had sinusitis and coughing fits from the reflux. After doing a lot of studying up on the subject (I am a biochemist, and I did not want any of these meds in my system anymore), I found out that pomegranate juice was very effective in controlling reflux. Other acid-neutralizing juices like carrot juice and spinach juice also help a looooootttttttt. I have not had a single bout of serious heartburn since I started drinking these juices (in moderation, actually…..nothing like a crazy juice diet or anything). Just half a glass in the morning of pomegranate and maybe a few ounces of carrot juice at night before bed. Just thought I would share.
amazing post, and so timely, too. I love it.
In fact, I think I’m going to make a post about this… (referencing this awesome post, of course!)
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