With the holidays looming, along with all of the added pressures they bring to focus on our bodies, one woman shared how she learned to love herself in the face of struggles.
Emily Frigo, a 26 year old mom of four, posted an important reminder on her Instagram about ignoring society's expectations and learning to love her body exactly how it is. Frigo emphasized how strong her body was to have withstood 10 pregnancies, six of which resulted in miscarriages.
"In my womb, I’ve grown 10 babies," she wrote. "Only four were born alive, but how fucking miraculous nonetheless. And I’ve never loved myself more."
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Frigo used her post to celebrate the parts of her body that society often tries to shame.
"Shaved head," she wrote. "Stretch mark stomach. Deflated breasts. Thighs that touch. Society does not defy me. My inner self does."
In her work as a birth photographer, Frigo was constantly capturing the beauty of other women's pregnant bodies, yet still mentally tearing her own apart, she told People. She became even more critical of herself after her first pregnancy, which resulted in a stillbirth.
"I was so angry with my body," she said. "Why was it failing me? What was I doing wrong? What could I do better? How could I overcome this?"
"I’d witness these powerful, strong, and raw women bringing life into the world. And through photographs, I’d capture the details of their different shapes and curves and marks and rolls. And you know what? I have never once looked at another woman’s body the way I looked at my own. I admired them," she said.
Frigo said she found an easy mental trick to help her eliminate her own negative views on her body.
“I thought every single person was just completely marvelous and miraculous. I started trying to look at my own body as I looked at theirs, with respect," she said.
We could all use her same strategy the next time we need a little self-love.
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