Written By: Felecia CauseyPhotography By:Felecia Causey
Model: Shawnnae Simon
What is the perfect body? Who is to say what the perfect body looks like? In a world where being criticized on the simplest flaw can make anyone second guess their own confidence. Embracing the natural curves, lips, nose, stretch marks, cellulite, and jaw bones have become out of the norm. In a world where celebrities have the money, to have cosmetic surgery regularly, even right after birth. It’s so often that women are willing to risk their life to give them the body they desire or the body that they feel the world tells them should.
Stop! No, I am not bashing anyone that chooses to do the surgery. I am guilty. I have often talked myself into just doing it, but then after I hear the horror of a woman’s botched or even hearing them losing their life, I think to myself is taking a chance worth it. I am not lying saying that I may not get surgery, but what I am voicing is that when I do it will be for me. It will not because the world said I need someone's opinion of me. I do believe in “to each of its own”, however why criticize someone who loves themselves the way they are? As I scroll on TikTok and see these amazing women with all different body types, sizes, and skin tones enjoying life and loving themselves, then all of a sudden, the trolls begin to tell them all their negative opinions. Instead of scrolling and saying nothing at all, reminding a person of flaws that they keep them down or have low-self-esteem, “they let the devil use them”.
“You don’t have the look”, I am sure a lot of people have heard or seen it on television. What is the look? She has a big butt, she is too skinny, her breasts are not big, she has stretch marks, she is too tall, her hair is too nappy, or her feet are too big for a woman. Where is the chart? What scientific fact tells a woman that her outside appearance is good enough. Is having a natural body not natural anymore? I know a few celebrities that proudly flaunt her natural assets and get dragged by next just the men but also her own fellow women. Dragged through the mud, and “micro-judged” even with all her imperfections.
Choosing either cosmetic surgery or not, isn’t the big issue, the bigger problem is that whatever you choose to do to your body is your choice. A man bashing a woman because he doesn't like her body shape or her skin tone and choosing to use ugly words to degrade a woman, breaks my heart. That’s why as a mother to a son, I always tell him, respect a woman like it’s your mom or your sister.
We are living in a world where everyone thinks they are right and knows about a female’s body. As we are in the month of mental health, women gain back control of loving ourselves mentally and physically. We must understand that everything has an imperfection, sometimes even a diamond. So, what you have dimples on your thighs, a little jiggy on your arms, a muffin top, and not so perfect boobs, the best thing is that you love you.
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