Beauty is not synonymous with nudity
As we celebrate Women’s month, I am once again reminded of what it means to be a woman, not that I do not feel like one everyday or that I forget what its like to be one, its just that this month women are a special focus.
Women’s month brings to mind so many things to mind some of them positive but most of them negative,such as women abuse, passion killing and rape.
I love being a woman, I love celebrating my fellow women and I love being celebrated, but at what cost must we be celebrated or celebrate ourselves? Last week I came across an article titled ‘Confidence in every curve and colour’ which was based on the ‘American Beauty’ campaign where women of different races, shapes and sizes come together celebrating being comfortable in their own skin by posing nude.
Forgive my simple mindedness but I don’t see the relevance of posing naked just to show how comfortable you are with you stretch marks, love handles, sagged breasts or belly pouches, you can still tell us how confident you are with your clothes on. Beauty and being comfortable in ones own skin is not skin deep but in ones heart and soul.
One of the highlights of the campaign was that the women were photographed in what they felt was the perfect body, with their most private parts only covered in flower petals which to this day I still wonder how it even shows confidence. I feel women are now resorting to drastic measures in order to be accepted by society, whatever happened to striving to be a noble woman, a woman of valour, a Proverbs 31 woman? My fellow sisters where have those aspirations gone?
Thank God the bible has not described the physical appearance of the Proverbs 31 woman but instead places emphasis on her character. We are all so obsessed with how our bodies look that we have forgotten what it really means to be a woman, we are support structures, nurturers and incubators and not objects to be displayed.
Women are constantly complaining that they are seen as sex objects by men when they are so much more than that. We as women need to understand that, that respect is earned and not just given because of status. No one cares that you are an incubator if you don’t act like one, and for my dear sister posing with petals over her nipples, no one will ever give you the respect you think you deserve, it will make you look confident to some people and make you feel better but it will NOT earn you the respect you so badly want from society.
Your curves will one day be pulled down by gravity, your luscious lips will one day grow thin, and the obsession with your behind and the colour of your skin will one day fade. No matter how comfortable, hot or sexy you may feel showing off your hips, humps and lumps you need to remember that beauty is not synonymous with nudity.
At the end of the day we need to stop obsessing about how our bodies look, I am not saying we should let ourselves go and pile on those kilos or starve ourselves I just feel we need to spend time thinking about how we want to feel than how we look after all the latter is more important.
Work on your character, be at peace with who you are, flaws and all. Do not be caught up with perfecting your shell when your insides are bleeding, full of hurt and hate. I always preach that one should not wait for someone else to validate them and today I preach the same message to you my fellow sisters whether thick, thin or round you do not have to prove anything to anyone using nudity, it will not make the ‘haters’ go away. Remember that beauty is seen in your heart, soul, eyes, your touch, wisdom, your compassion, strength, laughter and kindness.
