What are your best qualities?
I am empathetic, patient, and independent.
Do you have any undesirable qualities?
I can be rigid, envious, and selfish.
What do you love the most about your body?
It took me a while to arrive here. I know my body will never be perfect (whatever that even means). How boring would it be if we all looked the same? I see traits in myself that come from my mother’s and father’s sides, and yet they come together to be uniquely my own, and I think that’s should be celebrated, not erased!
Tell us the story about your stretch marks and scars…
I've had eczema my whole life - ever since I was a baby. However, after it laid dormant for years, it came raging back my senior year of college. That's when I learned that stress and anxiety can cause flare ups. It can feel disheartening when you think you've learned how to manage your current skin complications, only to see new or different ones arise, or on different body parts. When I was younger, I would try to cover up any imperfection, but I’ve chosen to stop wasting time and brain space on hiding something that others probably don’t even notice or care about. We deserve to live full and abundant lives, even if “imperfections”, diagnoses, past experiences, etc might make it more difficult.
What was your response when you first noticed your body changing?
When I was younger, changes in my body were really hard to accept. I grew up dancing ballet, and that background came with a lot of physical appearance ideals that were just...unrealistic for my body.
How did those around you make you feel about these changes?
I am lucky to have family and close friends who don't put emphasis on outward appearances. Experiencing love, friendship, and connection for the person I am makes me feel incredibly blessed, especially since I know this isn't everyone's experience, unfortunately.