Beautiful Women

Hello! :)
Yesterday I tried on bathing suits. Nothing in the sizes I've worn before fit me. Nothing in the next size up. I felt chubby. I've never been in such dislike with clothing or so down on myself. I moaned and groaned, complaining about my size-which is still smaller than most women, but part of that is because I'm short. ;) My daughters and husband were with me-all shopping. I was so frustrated and continued that down-trodden feeling until I read this... http://milemarkers.runnersworld.com/2010/05/dressing-room-glass.html
At first, I read Kristin Armstrong's most recent article. I always love the honest and genuine way she writes about life and running. So, I read a few posts back and saw this one. I realized that I was showing my girls how to think about their bodies. I'm still a pretty small lady-just a winter of eating poorly, not exercising and recovering from the stress fracture have made me more plump than before, not the stick-skinny runner I've always been. And running is taking a while to fix these things-longer than it used to, because I'm getting older. I guess that is what mid-thirties begins to do to you? But my husband said I just looked "womanly" with "beautiful curves"... Not fat. Last time we visited my family, my grandmother said I was getting the family butt... then the clothes not fitting, and I was fit to be tied with the whole situation. But, then I realized that even if there's chubby in my total poundage, that's nothing to complain about! It's life and, wow, I'm ok with ME. :)
Now I need to find a way to insert that into some conversations with my daughters who will always need to know how beautiful they are... Being a beautiful woman isn't determined by our weight or what bathing suits we fit into or how we change as we get older. It's what kind of person we are and how much light we shine to others. :)