Dec 23

Dear Body…

I’m joining in again on this week’s Fit Dish link up (hosted by Jill Conyers @ JillConyers.com, & Jessica Joy @ TheFitSwitch.org)! I love this week’s [optional] theme, which is a gratitude letter to your health! I’m all about trying to see the best in each situation and being thankful for what I do have. Christmas tends to evoke thoughts of presents and I’ll admit–I’m only human, so of course I enjoy em’ too, but I think the Christmas spirit should be about giving and being thankful for what we have.

Your health is your greatest wealth! (We had that printed on a PHAC health fair t-shirt, once upon a time.) So treat it well, because you only get one!

alwaysthankful
Dear Body, Thank you for not giving up on me when I first appeared in this world, and for getting me to eat more than every baby in the hospital to compensate for the 3 less months I had to develop/chill in my mom’s uterus.

I’m grateful for you even despite the super-fat cheeks. <3

I apparently wrote this excerpt a decade ago; I’d forgotten that.

I let compliments go to my head, and criticism go to my heart, instead of the other way around.

I have no trouble relating to that. For some reason, I can remember almost each and every time someone has insulted me, and the exact words they said. As for the compliments, I don’t remember them quite as vividly or clearly.

Why is it that I can see all the good in others, but all I focus on in myself are the flaws? I need to improve on this. Thank you for changing and growing with me. I don’t remember the insults anymore, but I do remember all the things people have said to me that have warmed my heart. :]

I’m sorry for being so accident/injury-prone over the years…from the shoe-print scab that graced my left cheekbone for two weeks when my friend cartwheeled into my face to the bite-marks my brother’s friend left on my hand when we were battling it out in elementary school.

Thank you for bouncing back from when I flipped off the high bar and landed on my neck. I was terrified that I’d be forever paralyzed, so I’ll definitely take the C2-C3 compression over that potential alternative.

Thank you for ignoring parental criticisms and believing that you were worth it and full of awesome, no matter what came your way.

I just give them this face and troll them.

These days, I just give them this face and troll them (bottom of the post).

Thank you for dealing with me through the years of my life where I used to down sugar packets for fun and eat instant noodles every night. Thank you for surviving through those dark and terrible times in the terrible world of ochem where I ate so many Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey granola bars that I might as well have turned into a granola bar. You’re a trooper, and I’m really sorry that it took me til the second half of college to start eating properly. <3

Thanks for being strong and helping me to set records at powerlifting competitions. It makes me feel like a badass, and I gotta admit, I enjoy that feeling. ;P

MULTI-TASKING FTW! I kid. I’m just warming up, haha.

Thank you for giving me perfect pitch, and for the finger dexterity and functional vocal cords to play piano and sing. That’s helped me to stay sane through all the years of school I’ve been slaving through, and also paid for my livelihood + kept my GPA afloat while I was in undergrad! <3

I appreciate your working with my not-so-wise decisions of back-to-back fitness classes/boot camps/workout sessions. I’ve learned my lesson, and promise never to do leg day before TKD/BJJ days again. While we’re on the subject of BJJ, last week, we split into teams and they made me team captain (…), which essentially meant that I got to pick my team’s opponents for them. (We won! <3) One of the guys told me he’d been watching me roll with Phil and said that I was a natural at BJJ. :D! “It’s in the way you move; everything flows, and you have great instincts and flexibility.”

I was super, super flattered, because I don’t feel that I am any of these things; I’ve always thought that my best skill in BJJ is hanging on like a barnacle (and sometimes worming my way out of things), but I will take it, and hopefully I will continue to improve!

I promise to take good care of you in the years to come. Please continue stickin’ with me,  because I really wanna see what we’re capable of! :D Maybe someday, we can level up some more in life and set national records!

<3 Your truly. :]

#DearBody…What are you most #thankful for? #fitfam #dishthefit #gratitude #selflove #selfworth

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46 comments

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  1. Wow, your story is an inspiring one, Farrah. I’m so glad you shared! I, too, have grown to enjoy trying to see the best in each situation as time has gone on. It’s a good practice to keep up. :)
    Kaylin @ Enticing Healthy Eating recently posted…Butterscotch Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies: The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap 2014My Profile

    1. Thank you! :] And definitely! It makes for a way more positive outlook on life! :P

  2. What a wonderful letter! Thanks for sharing. #fitfamlove
    jill conyers recently posted…A Letter To My BodyMy Profile

    1. Thanks for the awesome idea! It was a fun theme! :]

  3. Great letter–I think that the not giving up on me part is perhaps the most important. Don’t give up on me, I won’t give up on you!
    Susie @ SuzLyfe recently posted…Manna Organics Sprouted Breads Review, Recipes, Giveaway!My Profile

    1. Agreed! We’d be in a world of trouble if our bodies decided to give up on us! :o

  4. Love your letter!! That quote you wrote awhile ago is something I need to work on too. Thanks for sharing!
    Melanie recently posted…My Year in PicturesMy Profile

    1. Thank you! I was rooting through my old journal the other day and came across that! :o I’m glad that things have changed!

    • Ricardo on December 23, 2014 at 9:32 am
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    I liked my recent face at Splash Mountain. It’s somewhat similar to yours. I also know that my body has been through hell, but we’re toughing it out.

    1. hahaha, yeppp. That was from Splash Mountain! I used to be terrified of that ride because I think I had a somewhat traumatic dream where I got stuck on the ride right before the drop and it was just kinda suspended there indefinitely. D: I forced myself to go on it to overcome said fears. HOORAY FOR LIVING. haha :P

  6. Lovely letter, I too made promises and I too asked for forgiveness. Your aspirations are inspiring. great post!
    Jennifer recently posted…Dear Body – A Dish the Fit Link -UpMy Profile

    1. Thank you! :D I put my body through a lot (some good stresses, some not so great), so I figured my apologies would definitely be in order. :P

      I hope you have a wonderful holiday! <3

  7. Beautiful Farrah! We all have so much to be thankful for for our wonderful amazing bodies! Everything they do and how they grow with us each day and forgive us is simply amazing!
    Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine recently posted…When You Become More Than YourselfMy Profile

    1. Agreed! :] Every day throughout my “work” (haha unpaid labor) at the clinic/hospital, I’m continually amazed at how most of us turned out fine, despite all the billions upon billions of things that could’ve gone wrong at any step along the way. It is truly amazing. :O

  8. Great post! Your sugar packets and instant noodles part made me laugh, because I remember being a freshman in college and seeing Fat Free graham crackers. I thought because they were fat free I could EAT THE WHOLE BOX if I wanted to. Haha!
    Bri @ Simple Delights recently posted…Dear Body, Thank You For…My Profile

    1. Seriously! I came across a time in my life where I honestly ate over 500 of those Nature Valley Oats N’ Honey granola bars (over the course of a school year, but still!). It was so bad. :'( sighhh. At least we no longer do that to ourselves?!

  9. I think everyone sees the good in everyone else and has a hard time accepting his/her own flaws. It’s natural, but it’s also good to be aware of it and make an effort to see yourself differently. Great post!
    Gloria recently posted…RideOn Indoor Cycling ReviewMy Profile

    1. Thank you! :] Being able to see the good in others is definitely an awesome quality (hooray for a positive outlook! ;P ), but finding that balance and finding that good in ourselves is equally as important! <3

  10. love this! i need to write my own!
    Lindsay @ The Lean Green Bean recently posted…5 Last Minute Homemade Gift IdeasMy Profile

    1. Looking forward to reading it! :]

  11. Love your letter! What a great theme for a link up. This time of year it is very important to say thank you for all our blessings!
    Renee @ Bendiful Blog recently posted…Fitness- Looking Back and AheadMy Profile

    1. For sure! :] I love their linkup themes. This was definitely a good one, especially for this time of year! :]

  12. Aw, Farrah, I love this! Health really is the greatest wealth. I should write one of my own! Happy holidays!
    genevieve @ gratitude & greens recently posted…Ottolenghi’s Tomato + Sourdough SoupMy Profile

    1. If you do, I definitely look forward to reading it! :]

      Happy holidays to you as well! <3

  13. awesome post! I can definitely relate to a lot of this and I think a lot of other women can too. It’s so easy to focus outward on others and forget/neglect ourselves, but self love is important and necessary ♥

    http://StorybookApothecary.com >> I’d love you to stop by for a chat!
    Tianna recently posted…The Christmas Tag 2014My Profile

    1. Definitely! :] It’s nice to take a moment sometimes to step back and just appreciate what we were given. :]

      Hope you have a wonderful holiday! :D

  14. great letter! Thank you for sharing! Merry Christmas!
    Mary Beth Jackson recently posted…The Secret of Life……….My Profile

    1. Thank you! :] Merry Christmas to you as well! <3

  15. Love your post and the theme! Perfect pitch?! Not me! I love the quote, too! So true!

    1. It definitely made dictation quizzes and sightsinging in my music classes a billion times easier! :P And yeah, I’m glad I re-discovered that quote! Tis a good reminder. :]

  16. I love it! I feel the same- I ate like crap most of high school! I still remember downing an entire pack- yes I said entire pack- of mountain dew one night in an effort to stay awake. Can’t believe I was that dumb! I should thank my body for not succumbing to cavities from the obscene amount of sugar I put into it. :-)
    Montana Ross recently posted…100 Days Challenge: 10 Days InMy Profile

    1. It makes me kinda sad when I think back on those times. (It’s the “what if’s,” really. What if I’d started training for stuff then!? What if I’d paid attention to proper nutrition at a younger age? How much more awesome would I be now!?!?) But I like to think that it’s better late than never. ;P At least we’re not doing that anymore! :]

  17. Wow it is really amazing what your body has come back from! being a 28 week? baby is hardcore! You must be one tough chick ;) I think we all face the challenge of being our own worst critic, and need to show ourselves a little more love, good on you for taking that to hart. I have to admit I ave no idea what BJJ is and am intrigued!

    1. My mom knew I’d have to be a premie, so she ate a ton in preparation for that to help me out! :P

      Agreed! I like looking back and seeing that my perspective has changed [for the better!]. :D!

      Ah, that’s my fault! I’m pretty guilty of abbreviating everything in my life these days. BJJ is Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, which I’m trying to learn right now. :]! It’s super fun and a great workout! :]

      Hope you have a wonderful holiday! <3

  18. I loved your thank yous, especially the older pictures :-). It’s so easy to harbor hurtful comments and replay them over and over again. We need to be more uplifting as a society, including myself.
    Elizabeth @ Fit Life with E recently posted…Dear Body: Fearfully & Wonderfully MadeMy Profile

    1. For sure! :[ I’d completely forgotten that I used to be guilty of that all the time. I’m definitely hoping for society to adopt a more uplifting, positive approach to life/working with others. *-*

  19. Great letter!! Awesome job setting records at powerlifting competitions!! Keep up the great work! Happy Holidays!!
    Sharon recently posted…Gratitude Letter to My HealthMy Profile

    1. Thank you! <3 I'll keep on trying! :D

      Happy holidays to you as well! :]

  20. Farrah, I loved this! It is so true that in life we can recount all the negative words we hear and forget all the positives (which, more than likely, surpass the negative by leaps and bounds!) You have done amazing things and it’s so wonderful to be able to go through and show gratitude for all the ways your body has helped you become the woman you are! Thanks for sharing this! :) Also, YOU GO with the lifting – so awesome!
    Erin recently posted…Dear Body, I’m Sorry: A Letter of Gratitude.My Profile

    1. Thank you so much! <3 When I came back across that quote, I was struck by how much it still resonated with me. I think continually striving for self-improvement is great, but what's equally as important (that I/many others often overlook) is appreciating what we already have as well! :] I loved this theme, because it made me way more aware of that. Definitely something I gotta keep working on! :]

  21. So beautiful! It is amazing how much our body can live through. We may be tough and careless but our body always forgives us and stands by our side. I could never be grateful enough for its loyalty. :)
    Elsie @ Sharing Healthiness recently posted…Why I Won’t Do an Extra Round of Squat Jumps.My Profile

    1. Same here! :P Come to think of it, there is precious little out there in this world that I could count on for such loyalty!

      Hope you have a wonderful holiday! <3

  22. Oh I love this!! Great, great post!
    Mar @ Mar on the Run recently posted…Merry Christmas Survey! {Blogmas} Day 12My Profile

    1. Thank you! <3

      I hope you have a wonderful holiday! :D

  23. Our bodies are wonderful machines, aren’t they? I see a trend in all of our letters: we all want to work together with our bodies and no longer hurt them. :-) Great post!
    Fawn recently posted…The Fit Dish: Dear Body…My Profile

    1. Thanks so much! I’m glad that seems to be the underlying theme in all our letters! :]

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