Let's Hear it for SKIN!

Isn't skin wonderful?  I mean, it covers every inch of our bodies and there's never a shortage of it.  In my twisted little mind I can just see an angel "Up There" (capital U, capital T...okay, so that's a very deliberate Mary Ellen Edmunds reference...don't worry, you'll know who she is with my next post) ANYWAY...I can just see this angel with a staple gun saying, "Yeah...we ran outta skin so I'm just gunna stretch this as best I can and staple it in this crease.  No one will see it!" 

However, THAT never happens.  Each baby comes into this world with just the right amount of skin.  Then it grows as we grow.  Sometimes we wish it wouldn't.  I'll be honest here.  I have some extra skin I'm not overly crazy about. It is shrinking, which is another super cool thing about skin.  But it is taking its sweet time at it.  AND my personal trainer pinches that lovely extra skin with this fat measuring device and everytime she does that I get all embarrassed.  I was telling this to a friend and she said the most wonderful thing!  She reminded me that I got that extra skin from having 4 wonderful boys. Ahhh! (plus eating too much chocolate...let's be honest)  But suddenly I don't hate that part of my body any more.  Thank you so much Skin for stretching super big to accommodate these beautiful boys.  I love them so much!  I love them to distraction!  I couldn't imagine life without them! 

So I seriously thanked my skin.  And I think it liked that.  Really. 

I wonder how our body feels when we hate parts of it?  I wonder what that negative energy does to our brain and our body and our soul?  In the book of Mark in the Bible we are told that the first great commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, might, mind and strength and the second great commandment is to love our neighbor as ourselves.  So...if we hate some or most or all of ourself...does that mean we don't have to love our neighbor?   Maybe it means we are not able to love others if we can't love ourself.  Plus, I'm not thinking the Lord is expecting us to kiss the mirror because we think we're so spectacular and possibly even better than everyone else. I don't think He's talking about that kind of love at all.

But this is food for thought.  Right now I'm just marveling that I have all the skin I need and then some.  My skin covers all my fingers and toes.  There's no shortage to it! 

Did I tell you the last time I was measured that I lost a half inch in my neck?  I'm totally befuddled as to where it went to...but its gone.  AND I DON'T have a bunch of excess skin there on my neck either.  Its gone too.  It shrank away without leaving a mark.  Is Skin awesome or what????

So the purpose of today's ramblings is to be grateful for our bodies regardless of the shape, size or whether we have more skin than we want.  Be comfortable in your skin!  "Hey Skin!  I love you!!!  Thank you for being there for me!  Thank you for healing when I carelessly use kitchen cutlery...you know what I mean.  You healed that cut right up!  You're awesome!"

And by the way, you...you out there reading my ramblings...yes you!  You're awesome too!  Thank you for being my friends!  XOXO!

“Today you are You, that is truer than true. There is no one alive who is Youer than You.”
― Dr. Seuss, Happy Birthday to You!