BeYoutiful

So….I went to Hawaii…..again.

How is this my life? Hawaii twice in one year?!

My little sister Kristen is in the Army and had to get a job done out there so she invited me to go with her. This time, I visited Oahu and we stayed in Waikiki. This island was different from Maui but just as beautiful. It has such a big city vibe but with the mountains and the ocean. I loved it. We hiked, snorkeled, went to a luau and ate a bunch of really great food. The weather was fabulous and the ocean was warm. I spent my 1 year anniversary after double mastectomy there. October 25. I went on a hike by myself to Manoa Falls in the rainforest to celebrate. It felt like a special, sacred place. What a gift to randomly be there on that day. God always has a plan. Maybe not so random at all.

So, beach = bikini

I’m feeling much better now than during the May trip. That being said, I am more aware of how I look now. Before, I felt like shit and didn’t care AT ALL. Putting on my bikini with no breasts, radiation marks, scars, and a few pounds heavier (thank you menopause) was a little bothersome at first. I almost didn’t wear it.

But then I thought, This body is rocking and amazing. In the last year, it has survived cancer, chemo, radiation and surgeries. It can still run, hike, do yoga and lift weights. I can still laugh till I cry. I can go on adventures. I can help people up when they are down. Most importantly, I can still hug and hold my friends and family. Oh, and I can still dance like J Lo.

Friends, our bodies are so much more than what we look like. Think of all the things the body does for us every single day. It stays alive while we sleep, it tell us when something is too hot or too cold, the body can be repaired from a virus or a cut or a broken bone. Or cancer.  The body tells us when to eat, when to drink. It signals pain when something is wrong. It feels empathy, happiness, love. It is an amazing creation.

Society…….ughhhhh….society tells us we are of little to no value if we are not society’s standard of beautiful. But I say screw society. If you are a girlie girl, be you. If you are a tomboy, be you. If you weigh 90 pounds or 500 pounds, You. Be. You. It’s just a freaking number. If you are smart, funny, sensitive, creative BE YOU. If you are something that there is no label for, I really want to be your friend, and you be you. Beauty is in your smile, your words, your heart. Don’t let anyone hold you back. Embrace who you are and run with it. You were not born to be mediocre. You were made to shine bright. Be your true self, and that is beauty beyond measure.

This song has been my anthem for about the last year now. This video is so raw and beautiful and real. Hope you enjoy it!