ords to myself in my teenage years.
You are beautiful, just as you are! You are the only person on planet earth that is exactly like you. There is no one as beautiful as you are, you are PERFECTLY imperfect. You should love yourself, and your body unconditionally just as you are. When I started to love my tiger stripes and my body instead of wanting to change it, I finally started to love myself.
Tiger stripes or also known as stretch marks are more common than you think.
I remember it like it was yesterday, my body started to change pretty quickly when I was around 14 and I put on some body weight faster then my skin could stretch. This resulted in stretch marks - Tiger stripes on my buttocks, inner thighs and upper hamstrings.
I hated them, I hated them so much! I was so embarrassed, I didn't want to change in front of other girls after soccer practice and other sports in school. I hated wearing shorts and a bikini because I was so ashamed of my tiger stripes. I was always thinking that people would think that it looked gross or that I was fat because I had them. Something I wish I had known earlier is that you actually not only get them when gaining weight, you can also get them when losing weight or even for no real reason at all. They are a part of your body and you!
In my eyes I didn't know anyone else that had tiger stripes which was even more of a reason to why I tried to hide them and hated them so much. Looking back, it was probably more common than I thought, because you never see things on others the way you do on yourself.
It wasn’t easy and it has taken me a long time to feel comfortable in my body and with my tiger stripes. It wasn’t until my mid 20s I really felt okay with walking around in a bikini and proudly showing off my tiger stripes.
Instead of being embarrassed of them I started to think that they are a part of me and my body and because of them I am who I am today. They helped me to grow and become a strong, independent woman who can perform in life and lift heavy weights. All stretch marks tell a story, either in its maturity or growth. For me it was growth, the fact that my body grew makes me the woman I am today.
For some women it might be stretch marks after being pregnant and that’s a wonderful thing! To forever keep a memory from being pregnant with your child. In my eyes it is a mark from your child that will always be a part of your body. It’s like a skin tattoo from carrying your child.
"Love your body and your body will love you back."
There is absolutely no one else out there like you. You are beautiful, your body is beautiful
and your tiger stripes are beautiful. Take care of your body and love your body because that is the only home you will live in forever.
Lots of Love,
