2019: Turn your flaws into strengths

We all have a story with our body.
Like a unique world map, it accurately retraces our lives many paths.

At the tender age of 13, I remember my inquisitive gaze in front of the large mirror cabinet at my grandparents’. I had just discovered an abnormality on my body, which later turned out to be scoliosis. My spine, formed an “S” all along my back, giving my hips an asymmetrical position. Many years followed, full of loose clothes and a night corset, to try to somehow, correct this flaw.

I say flaw, but I do not really believe in that word, I’d rather think of it as a challenge. The challenge of seeing ourselves in our best light, despite the imperfections, despite our judgmental gaze.
Let us look at our little wrinkles like pathways dug by tears, of sadness and joy, proof of a life of loss and success, which make it what it is today: full.
Our white hair as a magical addition to our locks: a silvery reflection in an ocean of neutrality.
Our cellulite as proof of our existence; generous and sweet, strong and abundant.
Our angular nose as a testimony of those who built our family, a tribute to our ancestors.

Today, I see this spine as the winding road that my life walks every day, and I embrace this feature with ease. It is a detail in an amalgam of traits that make me a unique being.
However, sometimes I stand in front of my mirror and imagine my body differently, straighter, less salient. It is a matter of benevolence towards myself: this body would not be mine and among all the flaws that I can notice, I always go back to my smile. I was born this way and I have to do my best to honor the body which I live in, day after day. I have to thank it by taking care of it, giving it space to grow, to become, to simply exist.

In this new year, let’s learn to befriend our reflection. Adopt it as one adopts a good habit; with patience and a lot of love.