This past weekend we made a quick trip to Indianapolis for my the wedding of my cousin Orin to his beautiful bride Kiotta.
It was a Jewish wedding inside the Arts Garden and the ceremony was beautiful.
We left on Saturday afternoon and stayed the night at a friends house in Lexington, KY. I am always overcome with nostalgia for my first 22 years of life when I return to my home state/town. Karel and I had both planned on working out before we made the 5.5 hour drive but we decided to do some long-overdue deep house cleaning. On Sunday morning, we went for a run at Shilito Park and it brought back a lot of great memories from my childhood. We picked up bagel sandwiches for breakfast and then made our 3-hour drive to Indianapolis. I had not been to Indy in a very long time but Karel remembered the downtown from his drive to Madison, WI w/ his mom back in 2018 when they came to watch me race at IMWI (I flew there and we all drove back together so that we could visit my Grandpa Joe for his 90th birthday).
I booked an Airbnb for the night and after checking in, I finished up my gift for Orin and Kiotta (pictured below) while Karel went out to get us a snack from the grocery.
We left on Saturday afternoon and stayed the night at a friends house in Lexington, KY. I am always overcome with nostalgia for my first 22 years of life when I return to my home state/town. Karel and I had both planned on working out before we made the 5.5 hour drive but we decided to do some long-overdue deep house cleaning. On Sunday morning, we went for a run at Shilito Park and it brought back a lot of great memories from my childhood. We picked up bagel sandwiches for breakfast and then made our 3-hour drive to Indianapolis. I had not been to Indy in a very long time but Karel remembered the downtown from his drive to Madison, WI w/ his mom back in 2018 when they came to watch me race at IMWI (I flew there and we all drove back together so that we could visit my Grandpa Joe for his 90th birthday).
I booked an Airbnb for the night and after checking in, I finished up my gift for Orin and Kiotta (pictured below) while Karel went out to get us a snack from the grocery.
I was really looking forward to the opportunity to get dressed up as it had been a long time since I had a reason to get fancy. I love dresses and I couldn't wait to wear the dress that I purchased last year online from Shein (the wedding was supposed to be July 2020 but was moved to October this year due to COVID). Before we left I tried on the dress and I was a bit concerned because I had to wiggle my way into it. While it looked nice once it was on, it was not an easy fit. This really got me thinking about the clothing industry and how difficult it is to dress an athletic body. And I'm not just talking about muscles but the many different shapes, curves and characteristics that make an athlete's body unique and special.
I can remember trying on dresses for my high school senior prom and it was clear that the clothing manufacturers were not catering to my athletic body. I couldn't find anything to fit my short stature or my wide back and broad shoulders acquired from competitive swimming. I finally found a two-piece dress that had a tie-back top, which I could adjust to fit my unique physique.
Still today, I find it difficult to dress for my body type. But I take pride in my athletic body and I refuse to conform to societal norms.
How many times has your day been ruined after putting on clothes that didn't fit your body type? Do you feel embarrassed and ashamed when you need a size bigger than what you are used to?
Keep in mind that there is no clothing design template that can be customized for every body type. If you don't fit the mold, you DO NOT need to change your body. Resorting to unhealthy dieting or exercise regimes to reach an "ideal" body type is not the solution.
Instead, change your clothes. Purge clothes that no longer serve you well physically, emotionally or mentally. Change your infatuation with a size on a label or a number on a bathroom scale.
Find clothes that work for your body. Don't let clothes dictate how you feel about yourself. Wear clothes that make you feel proud of your shape, size and image. The minute you blame your own body for ill-fitting clothing, you are objectifying your body and basing your self-worth on your appearance.
I'm no fashionista but I know that I don't need to fix my body to feel good about what I wear. Embrace your size, skin color, hair texture, shape, sexuality, disability, race and any other characteristic that makes you special and unique.
Nobody is built the same. There is nothing wrong with you. Find acceptance with how you are built - even if your body isn't an easy fit.