Mother’s Day is this Sunday. Many of us have plans to celebrate the many amazing women and mothers in our lives. It’s a really beautiful day.
However, the sad thing I have noticed about holidays and celebrations like Mother’s Day is that for the many people trying to lose or maintain weight, these celebrated days have become cumbersome. They feel like more of an inconvenience than an occasion. They are viewed as a barrier to weight loss. They come with brunches, mimosas, sweet treats and unintended calories. It feels impossible to stick to any sort of eating plan on these celebratory days. And even if we do find the willpower, we feel we’re missing out if we restrict. We’re in a lose-lose situation.
Sure, we can all put a plan in place to resist the temptation that will be served on Sunday. But instead, I wanted to remind every woman WHY they don’t have to eat perfectly this Mother’s Day. Because in the eyes of your child, especially your daughter, you are perfect.
I’ve only been at this motherhood thing for a couple months, but the one thing I know is that I never want my daughter to be plagued by the body image issues that have plagued me. Everyone talks about how much THEY love their child, but rarely do we talk about how much our children LOVE and NEED us. Right now, I’m the love of my 9-week-old daughter’s life. In her eyes, I’m perfect. When I step on the scale frustrated with my postpartum body, I think, this number doesn’t matter to her. This number doesn’t change how well I can love her and comfort her and soothe her. This number means nothing to her. The same way I was brought into this world thinking my mom is perfect. Why do I think she’s perfect, because she’s mine.
Its not until  we get older that we see our parents, particularly our mothers, as “humans.”  We then see their flaws and there idiosyncrasies. That’s because we see the person they see themselves as. They become more like peers.
My daughter won’t know I’m carrying around extra weight unless I tell her. She won’t know I don’t think I’m perfect, unless I tell her.
So here’s a letter to my mom, from me as a child. Please read this as if its coming from your very own child. The same way you think they’re perfect, they think you’re perfect. When you remind yourself that calories take a backseat to this special day.
Dear Mom,
In my eyes you’re perfect. You’ve always been perfect. You’re not a number on the scale, you’re not a size of clothes, you’re my mom.
When you see wrinkles, I see the smile that greets me everytime I walk in the door.
When you see extra weight around your waist, I see the special dinners we were allowed to have when dad was out of town for work.
When you see a bigger size jeans than you hoped for, I see the outfit you wore on one of our most fun family outings.
When you see bat wings, I see the arms that hugged me after every cheer competition.
You see cellulite, I see beach chair imprints from our hundreds of days on the beach together.
How much you weigh doesn’t matter to me, what size clothes you wear doesn’t matter to me, how many calories you consumed doesn’t matter to me, because you’re my mom and I love you.
Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there. Enjoy your special day, don’t let calories rain on your parade!
