I’ve been thinking a lot about body image lately, and what it means, both to women and to society at large. In fact, in recent weeks, I’ve been confronted with my own demons; “do I look attractive,” “do I have too many lines,” “is my butt fat/thin/jiggly/firm/too big/too small,” etc etc etc.
These insecurities stem from many places but unfortunately, are often perpetuated in the media, whose images of teenage girls dressed and made up to look like women only serve to send the wrong messages — not only to ourselves, but to our daughters, our partners, our friends and the like.
Hence, I was struck by the title of this article that I stumbled across: “Sad and Saggy.” Written by a UK-based gynecologist, it proports to inform women why their breasts sags and what’s more, what they can do about it.
Mind you, the article is informative and attempts to take an empathetic approach. But the following phrases gave me pause:
“At the end of the day, you’ll just have to accept your breasts, saggy as they are! Don’t obsess about how unattractive they look….”
“We can’t all be young, attractive teenagers…”
So, I’d like to take a moment to say a few things to some of the individuals in the world who have missed the memo.
Women are beautiful whether or not they have a few bumps, straight hair, curly hair, a few lines, or saggy breasts. While we can’t all be young attractive teenagers (frankly, I have no interest in being a teenager, attractive or not), we all possess a beauty within and it is that beauty truly defines our appearance, how we carry ourselves, how we are seen by the outside world, how we feel about ourselves relative to others.
I grow tired of trying to live up to impossible, unattainable standards set by air brushed, young nubile teens who are anything but women. I am weary of being told that because I am aging, I am no longer as pretty “as…” And I am insulted by the lack of empathy by the multitudes of physicians who want women to believe that midlife (and menopause for that matter) and its effects can be solved by “x.”
Let’s get the core of the problems and see if we can work from the inside out, shall we?
Saggy breasts or not, we’re all human, we are all imperfect. But if you ask me, we’re all pretty damn special.
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Hear, hear!
best post of the year!
seriously, who the hell would want to be a teenager again, even with the nubile breasts. bad tradeoff for the angst.
Thanks Ms. Amy. Important message for all women – you are beautiful. Believe it.
BRAVO!!! I’m giving you a standing O!!!
Rosy – smiles 🙂
Great post. You tell ’em!!!!
Thanks Lisa!
There is beauty to behold and embody at every age. I like the “wisdom threads” in my hair and I’m finally at peace with my ol’ curvy self. Nobody has a right to challenge that.
I earned every line and scar.
Our bodies are amazing maps of the life we have lived.
I love what you wrote – our bodies are amazing maps of the life we have lived. Rock on sistah!