Through photos, I try to capture my body the way I usually see it: riddled with flaws and insecurities and turn it into affirmations that I use to remind myself of the life my body holds.
My relationship with my body has been a tale of woes, fights, losses, and very few wins. The pandemic forced me to be inside my bubble with little to no distractions that can turn me away from picking out my flaws. Everywhere I went, I caught a glance of my reflection, aching for some form of reassurance. Constant criticism from loved ones often meant that I couldn’t depend on them for the validation I was seeking.
I finally decided to listen to myself.
Every time I looked in the mirror and tried to make my existence smaller, I wrote down something that I liked about my body. Over time, I ended up referring to these notes to remind myself of the joy and life my body holds.
My bones are not a sign of weakness
They hold me up and give me strength
My hands and wrists, are not for others to measure with their cold intentions
But they enable me to create, touch and feel new experiences, places, and people
My legs are not for cropping out of pictures to hide their shape
But they let me reach new heights and see things I have never seen before
My face is not meant to be covered with filters that distort my true form
But to appreciate its raw and unique features that only I share
I do not need to modify the way I look
To fit into society’s expectations
I am perfect the way I am
Each part of my body lets me live in its own ways
And together, they make me the person I am today
I have woken up with my body every morning of my life
And have gone to sleep with it
My body, although sometimes can be my apocalypse,
Is, in fact, my gift.