to the woman I am now
Being naked is being yourself.
Being a nude means being seen in a state of nakedness, by others, and yet not being recognized by yourself.
There are few times, if any, when a person truly comes to perceive and appreciate themselves just as they are in a state of nakedness, without trying to hide what they’ve disliked for years, looking at every detail, which is not the same as seeing yourself in the mirror during automatic routines where you cleverly choose what to look at and what not to.
Your body is there, working for you, being part of your surroundings every day. It is the wrapping of your personality. It should be normal, if not common, to look at it with love and respect, without judging it. Without mistreating it. Without making it an object. That way, using it as such won’t be encouraged.
I write this very personally, to the girl I was and to the woman I am now. My body, even though it will be with me until the end of my days, will only truly be mine when my appreciation and perception of it are above everyone else’s. I like to think that everything we’re born with is a gift, and it’s up to us to integrate it until we accept it and make it better.
So far, so good.