Beautiful Battle Scars

As a mom you learn to get creative.  I learned early on the only way I could get a shower in was if I took the bouncer in the bathroom and put the baby in there.  That normally gives me about a 10-15 minute shower, just what I need.  The other day I was pulling this maneuver and when I got out of the shower the baby was staring at my stretch marks.  I smiled at her and said “Those are my battle scars, aren’t they beautiful?!?!?”  And with her impeccable timing, she smiled back at me, making that statement all the more true.  They are so beautiful.  When I look at them I don’t remember the difficult pregnancy or the difficult labor.  I just think of that smile.

There are some big lessons in my beautiful battle scars for my daughter, and I hope she will always remember them.

1.    My body, with all of its imperfections is beautiful.  It is a body that has allowed me to live and love, and I have the marks to prove it.  Her body, is just as perfect in it’s imperfection (I see no imperfections, but I’m sure she will find some in herself someday) and she should love it for everything it is worth.  She too should take full advantage of her body and live and love in it.

2.    It might seem cliché, but it is what is in the inside that counts.  Physically my body has changed over the years, but I have only grown.  It doesn’t matter what the outside looks like as long as I keep the inside beautiful. 

3.    I will never shy away from any battle or any scar if her health and safety are at stake.  I will always be ready to fight for her and I will wear any scar that results from that with pride.

“Those are my battle scars, aren’t they beautiful?!?!?”  Those scars are my badge of honor, and she is my victory!