I'm sick of the lie...

As most of you already know, I have been struggling with an eating disorder for the past 10+ years of my life and I'm sick and tired of not just putting it out there. It's part of who I am and will always be part of who I become. Recovery provides an opportunity for a lot of growth, self-reflection and soul searching. It helps clarify what is important in life and who is worth my time, attention and love. A lot of people (sadly) have their beliefs and stereotypes about eating disorders and for the most part, they're completely judgemental and wrong. Each person's experiences are unique to their lives and personalities. There is no label for anyone struggling with an eating disorder and no one person fits into any specific criteria. It is my hope that in time, I will be able to change those stigmas and open people's eyes to the reality of eating disorders, the severity of them and how each and every person can play a role in someone's recovery, growth and renewal.
One thing I want my daughter to always know is that she is perfect just the way she. It takes a lot of work, growth and strength on my part to keep forging on in order to provide her with a strong example of a woman with a positive body-image and strong self-esteem. That means a lot of hard choices on my part, such as what she's exposed to, the toys she plays with and the words and conversations she hears. It has taken me years to get to this point and I have so much further to go. I know that I cannot protect her from everything, but I can certainly to my best to prepare her for the world that she is going to grow up in.

Fortunately, I know that I have a lot of friends and family that have always supported and loved me unconditionally. Now, it's time to lean on myself and be a strong woman, wife and mother. Juliana is prone to all the same body image problems that every young girl is nowadays as she grows up, so I can only hope and pray that what I can do will help and that everyone else in her life will be a positive role model for being proud of who you are, no matter what you look like.

So, this is the real me, that many of you have already known. However, the truth of the matter is that no many how many words I speak, no one will ever understand my battle and I accept that. All I ask is for support, no questions asked. For those of you that cannot or have chosen not to accept me, as I am, it's your loss, not mine.

God bless everyone. May you all take a look at your inner selves today and reflect upon your own self-esteem and how it affects those around you, especially your children.