Every year, women dread swimsuit season. Some of us worry about showing a few extra pounds, while others are embarrassed about our protruding ribs. And then there are the stretch marks, cellulite, and pale skin… So it’s good to remember that the perfect bodies we compare ourselves to are completely unrealistic. Let’s not forget that the latest bikini models are all plucked and pruned, photographed from the perfect angle under the best possible light, and then thoroughly photoshopped before they’re ready for us to torture ourselves with. But the truth is that pale bodies are completely natural after a long winter. And there’s nothing wrong with cellulite, scars, or calluses here and there. It’s who we are—and we should be proud of it. Every body is fine just as it is, and now Swedish journalist Linda-Marie Nilsson has written eloquently about the issue. Her message is “all colors are beautiful” and the bikini picture she posted on Facebook has received more than 38,000 likes.
Linda-Marie Nilsson is joining the ranks of those who are fighting back against the unrealistic beauty ideals we’re fed daily.
In a Facebook post, she writes about what she worries about most at the beach. And it’s not her body, she writes.
“It’s not my body. It’s not my fine calluses, my cute cellulite, my mighty chest threatening to pop out of my bikini if I do something drastic. It’s not my shapely butt, which is perhaps a little too big for the small sun loungers. It’s not my unique stretch marks that nobody else has,” she writes.
But it’s still something that worries her when it’s time to swim or sunbathe on the beach. And that is—other people.
“What I worry about is everyone else. I worry about everyone who looks like me, but who is ashamed, hiding in a towel or never taking off their T-shirt, while anxiously watching everyone else to see if they’re looking back.”
Linda-Marie Nilsson says that several people have written to her that they won’t even go to the beach because they don’t want anyone to see them. It makes her feel sad, she writes.
“You should never have to opt out of joy because you’re ashamed of your body.”
Whether you’re thin, medium, or large—it doesn’t matter. Our bodies still all have the same features. They’re still the temples we live in and we should thrive in them without caring about what others think. So, it’s extremely tragic that some people feel they can’t even go to the beach for fear of what others will say or think.
This summer, I hope everyone can enjoy the beach without having to worry about how they look! Please share further if you agree.
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