Don’t Fix Me, Love Me

Being a skinny Black girl used to make me feel insecure. As a Black girl and woman, I am told by society and other people that I’m supposed to be thick and have a big butt. People would say things like, “Only a dog wants a bone,” or “Men (particularly Black men) like women with meat on their bones.” While I wasn’t teased too badly about being thin, but there were some moments. One event in particular stands out to me: In college, a guy told me that “I would be a dime (a 10) if I was thick.” I believe it was at that moment that I said, You know what? If someone doesn’t want to be with me because I’m not thick (or whatever shallow specifications they had), then I don’t want to be with him.

In recent months, I’ve struggled with my body image after having a baby. What I’m learning now is I have to love and appreciate the body I have while also working on the body I want.

I have to tell myself, “Love me.”