Today is my 49th birthday. There are 30 years between this 19 year old in the first photo and me today. That 19 year old was posing for a catalog in New York City in 1989. I hate to admit it, but she also hated so much of herself. She was too fat. Too short. Her eyes were too big. Boobs too small. On and on self hating until the day my first son was born and then the next one. And then that self hating all changed because that’s the funny thing that happens when you have those people in your life who love more than yourself because they help you to see what you are differently. To see that it was all superficial stuff. The horrible self doubt I placed on myself that took over my entire existence until I discovered the real things that were more important to me.
My friend Tracey took the more recent photo of me when I decided I wanted to put this website to life. If I said that I don’t still have days of self doubt or if I said I can easily receive a compliment I would be lying. But I’m not what I was when I was 19…and honestly Thank God. It are the parts of me on the inside that have grown to make me a better person. My lesson in those feelings of self doubt are what inspired me to photograph women and share their stories through their pictures and their words. For everyone to see, including them, how incredibly beautiful they truly are.
Our worthiness is not defined by the size of our body or the job title we hold or how many trips we have taken around the sun. Don’t allow your inner critic to listen to the negative thoughts in your own head or the false beliefs tossed at you by imaginary social standards. Show up to the things that make you better and the people you love. Be kind. Be generous with your time. Be a good human being. And most of all do it not just for other people, but also for yourself.