Before you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, enjoy the meal, and then suffer recriminations all the way up to Christmas, Hannukah, and Quanzaa, take several moments a day to thank your personal God or Goddess for the body you have. The alternative to having a body, is, I suppose, to be deceased. So, then. any body is a good one.
Body Image and Me
Ass too big? Well, does it provide a comfortable platform upon which to set a spell? Fine. Tits too small? Hmmm…can they feed an infant? Do they afford you sexual pleasure and stimulation? Tummy a bit saggy? Has it born your children? Acted as a container for the fine food you eat to nourish your body and pleasure your taste buds? Rolled out belly laughs of delight in your life?
We are what we are. I see signs that modern women are just beginning, finally, to come around to understanding that we are all beautiful. We have our Queen…Latifa. We have our intellectual role model — Camryn Manheim. We have our guru — Oprah. Each year, more celebs pop up in a larger-than-size-zero gown at various award shows. So - give yourself a break. Eat for nourishment and enjoyment. Eat a little for pleasure, with an eye toward sanity. Check out some of these resources to boost you up:
- BodyPositive.com - a great magazine with sections for large women, children, your inner parent, and more.
- Dove soap’s campaign for real beauty - women everywhere are talking about how good this is for us…and for our daughters. Kudos, Dove!
- Shape Your Style.com - how to buy the best styles for your personal best look.
- Pregnant? Here’s a fine resource. And while you’re at it, look for an awesome book, a bit older, but so full of treat yourself kindly tips - The Woman’s Comfort Book by Jennifer Louden.
- Quiet your spirit at ContemplativeMind.
A Bonus —Holiday Cheer–Wow!
Little Christmas is also referred to as Women’s Christmas (Nollaig na mBan in Irish), or sometimes even Women’s Little Christmas. It is so called because of the tradition, which is still very strong in Cork, of Irish men taking on all the household duties for the day and giving their spouses a day off. Most women will either hold parties or go out to celebrate the day with their friends, sisters, mothers, aunts etc. Bars and restaurants usually have a majority female clientele on this night. Children often buy presents for their mothers and grandmothers, and it closely resembles Mother’s Day in this respect.
While originally a rural tradition, in recent years, Women’s Christmas is enjoying something of a revival, both in Ireland and abroad. It is becoming popular in the Irish emigrant communities in Britain, North America, Australia, and New Zealand. For the Irish Women’s Network of British Columbia, Canada, for example, this event is the highlight of their social calendar.
The tradition is not well-documented, but one article from The Irish Times in January 1998, entitled On the woman’s day of Christmas, informally describes both some sources of information and the spirit of this unique occasion.—from wikipedia.
