17 October 2008

me

This was a "homework" assignment of sorts. I had to take some pictures of myself. Its hard posting them here. It hurts me to be real with myself.. to acknowledge the weight I have put on since Hannah came along, to see the challenges ahead of me. As I mentioned before, Joleen and I have been journaling quite a lot in preparation for the new issues of Portals coming up. The theme is art journals and we figured we needed to journal our way through it. Having the support of each other has enabled us to dig in to a it more personal topics than we had touched on before. I think both of us struggle with being ok with ourselves, our appearances, our beauty, our insides...

I have always admired that Joleen posts so many pictures of herself on her blog and uses those images in her work. She is not the classic blond haired, blue eyed, size 2 beauty that we see in so many magazines but instead a real person, real size with tremendous beauty within and without. In my eyes she is more beautiful than those unrealistic images we see in the media. I know I have the gift of "knowing" her but a big part of what I admire is her courage to put it out there. So following is those steps I am posting pictures of myself. It is uncomfortable but I feel a teeny bit stronger for doing it and I hope thids will help me on my road to realize what is good and beautiful about ME.

Thank you Joleen for this little push, whether you know it or not. I am grateful that you have come back into my life and honored the friendship that we share. I love you.

8 comments:

  1. oh my gosh, Heather, you look absolutely gorgeous in these pictures. Your face has a softness and naturalness to it that is so beautiful. xo

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  2. OMG HEather!!You are gorgeous!! BEAUTIFUL EYES, and SKIN TO DIE FOR!!! I have "Quazimondo" syndrome (not a real syndrome, but it should be!!) I think I look like a monster..LOL..LITERALLY. All my life I have felt this way--not that it bothers me, because it doesn't...just something my mind tells me...LOL. I use to have men chasing me like dogs after a bone, and STILL felt like I looked like a MONSTER...LOL..go figure at how silly we are!!

    Anyway--you are gorgeous and wonderful looking!!!!!
    Hugs!!
    Quazi

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  3. gah! i am SO proud of you! i know this challenge was tough for you.. i'm impressed that you felt brave enough to share the photos because i know sometimes taking them in the first place is such a huge step in itself. you, my friend, are so beautiful! suzan is so right about your "beautiful eyes and skin to die for" but really you just shine- as a friend and a mother. hannah is so lucky to have you. so am i. xo

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  4. you are gorgeous! Your skin is grat, wonderful eyes... isn't it funny how we always think we look bad?

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  5. Soomeone once said "What a beautiful gift it would be if only for a moment we could see ourselves through the kind and loving eyes of our friends."

    We never see ourselves as others see us. Heather, you ARE beautiful. I have NEVER thought of you as overweight! I see a beautiful, strong woman with curves, which is really how most woman are.

    Your body is just a vehicle for your soul to get around in.
    xxx

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  6. You are beautiful in EVERY sense of the word Heather! You are beautiful outside as well as inside!

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  7. You are lovely and you have beautiful eyes. It's funny that we are always our own worst critics. We tend to see every flaw. On the outside looking in I'd say you have a beautiful spirit as well as being a beauty.
    Tammy

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  8. I think you are beautiful....I've seen pics of you before and always thought that. We are our own worst critics I'm afraid and we never see ourselves as others do.
    Smile sweetie, your eyes light up!

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