Dear Legs,

I wanted to write you an apology letter.  We’ve been through a lot together and I know I haven’t treated you very well.  Often times, I’ve pounded you into the ground and demanded more then you could give.  You made it through three knee surgeries and a myriad of cuts, bruises, tweaks, muscle tears and pulls. I told you that you were fat, big, and ugly!  I complained about your big ankles and chubby knees.  I pointed out your spider veins and said you had “cows” instead of “calves”!  I called your ankles “cankles” (calves and ankles together), and wished you were different.  I looked with admiration at other legs…legs that were leaner, longer, smoother, and more beautiful…wishing I had those.  I’m sure this made you feel badly.  I am so sorry!

Even with all of this poor treatment, you helped me to jump high and run fast!  You are strong, tan, muscular, and you do almost everything I ask!  You’ve never twisted an ankle and you’ve helped me through years of volleyball, soccer, running, walking & dancing!  You are so reliable and I depend on you everyday!  The reality is…I couldn’t be “me” without you!  You complete me!  I accept all that you are and I’m thankful that you are mine!  Please keep working hard for me…getting me up every morning and helping me live the life I was designed to live!  I promise to take better care of you and not to tear you down any longer.  We have quite a few more years left here on earth and if I’m good to you…I know you’ll give me many more miles, hikes, jumps, & dances!  I love you!

Sincerely,

Elida

I was asked to create a piece of “leg art” for the “legs about town”event www.thechildrenscenter.org.  There wasn’t a lot of stipulation…I was just handed this maniquin leg from my gallery director and told to “run with it” (hee, hee!)   I started thinking about how mean we are to ourselves.  I looked at my own legs…I really haven’t been that nice to them and I felt a little sad.  I contemplated about us as women, all of us really (men do this too), and how each of us has our own problem area of our bodies that we hate.  We stare at it despairingly in the mirror (in my case…squint my eyes in hopes it looks better) and say, “If only…” or  ”I wish…”.  We look longingly at others who’s problem area is not the same as ours and think how fantastic it would be to switch bodies.  

Do you remember those block thingies on the playground that have three sections you could spin?  You turn the top and it’s a clown face, the middle could be something different… like a cowboy, and then the legs…maybe a horse?   I always joked that there was a mix-up in heaven….God and the angles were having a hay day up there when they created me.  God was doing a pretty decent job on the top half and then had an idea…he whispered into Gabriel’s ear, who then leaned back and roared with laughter.  They start spinning my bottom half until they landed on the “badonka donk butt, thunder thighs, cows and cankels side!”   With a twinkle in his eye and a little grin…God said, “That should do it…but wait, throw in the excessive talking DNA box, the artistic/creative gene,  & a little ADHD….just for giggles!”  I’m pretty sure that’s how it went down!  Ha!

But what if we all wrote apology letters to our “problem area”?  How would you feel once you asked for forgiveness?  How different would you feel treating this area of your body like a dear friend, seeing all the good and dismissing the bad.  I think our body images might improve.  We might have a resurgence of mini skirts for the girls who hated their legs and belly shirts for those who didn’t like their mid-sections?!  It could be wonderful!  Why not write a “Dear (body part that I hate)…” letter?  I’d love to see them!  It would make my legs (that I love and accept whole heartedly) jump for joy!

There is a “People’s Choice Award” for the legs about town!  I’d love your vote  http://www.thechildrenscenter.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/CC_GG_scorecard.pdf!  My leg will be on display until September 16th at Latte Da…so take a look-y-lou.  For more information  www.thechildrenscenter.org