Function, not form

My wife, Beverly, has discovered her knack for writing. I love what she has to express so much that I asked her permission to share it. Expect to see more of her thoughts in the future.

 You can't judge a book by its cover, wise words from an unknown author. I thought of these words today after seeing a picture of someone I no longer speak to. They came to mind because even if a person completely changes their outward appearance it does not change who they are fundamentally. Some of the nicest people I know are not perfect in appearance. On the flip side, many so-called “beautiful” people I have known are the most toxic personalities.

My husband and I have been reading “The Burnout Cure”, we are almost finished. Last night we read about being kind to ourselves. In this part of the book the author talks about how women especially have a hard time accepting and appreciating their bodies. We spend so much time trying to fit society's mold of perfection that we are disappointed with our own selves rather than just appreciating the fact we even have a body.

Another thing covered in this chapter was the concept of a “body breed”. Here we are asked “If you were a dog, what breed would you be?” So, while some can say their body breed is more like a poodle or greyhound, others (myself included) would say they are more like a collie or even a retriever type. This is not tos ay that one is better than another, merely that each “body breed” has its certain advantages and disadvantages. The body is an instrument rather than an ornament and if we spend all our time trying to be an ornament we will not be good for much else. Our bodies were designed for function, not form.

The author also talks about all the amazing things a body accomplishes all on its own. As a teenager/young adult I was very interested in the human body and loved reading about all the cool stuff the body could do if it were healthy and taken care of. Because of this, I learned to appreciate and care for the body I was given. As I got older though, I lost that vision and appreciation. I find myself falling into the same comparisons against society that many other women suffer from. I need to remind myself to be grateful to have a functioning body. Many others do not have a complete, whole and healthy body. Even so, they are still happy to at least be alive.

My goal is to start viewing myself more positively. I need to show gratitude for my imperfections because they show where I have been in life with this body. They show my choices and how I can learn from those experiences.

~Beverly