I used to hate summer. My friends always adored summer, but I would tell them I prefer winter. In reality, I just hated summer.
Summer is the time of year when the layers come off and the swimsuits and tank tops come out. I hated summer because of the way it made me feel: exposed. My body -which I hated- was exposed and on display for everyone to look at and judge. I really hated summer.
Since my senior year of high school, I’ve found this love for summer. It’s like a person you judged too quickly and then all of a sudden, they became your best friend. That was what summer became to me, my new best friend.
Summer became freedom, nostalgia, and the meaning of something new. In summer, you can be anyone you want to be. You can change and change until you love the person you have become. Summer is renewal.
With this new meaning of summer, I still felt anxiety because of my body. There is nothing I can really say to help with how you feel about your body and how you can love your body. The mind is a never-ending road full of ups and downs.
But, at some point, you will find a meaning in your body, a purpose. This purpose will ignite appreciation and unwavering love. The body you have is a home and the confidence will soon come. It will always take time, and some days will be better than others, but you can finally say, “Hey, I love summer, and I love my summer body!”
I hated summer. I hated my body.
Now I love summer and I will forever love my body.