Today, I wore a bikini.

My body isn’t what you see in magazines or media—it’s far from “perfect” by those standards.
But today, for the first time in 25 years, I put on a bikini anyway.
I stood in front of the mirror, took a deep breath, and said to myself:
“You look great.”
Then I hopped in the pool.
A little later, my teenager came over, pointing out their own stretch marks with concern.
I smiled and said,
“You’re supposed to have them. Your body is growing. Want to see all the ones you gave me?”
Without missing a beat, my teenager—sweet as can be—looked at me and said:
“Mom, you look great.”
And you know what?
I believe that.
Because I’ve learned it’s not about the shape we’re in; it’s about how much we love and respect ourselves.
It’s about self-confidence, and sometimes that means showing up just as you are.
On my last solo adventure on the road, I found myself again.
Flaws, scars, stretch marks, and all—I fell back in love with who I am.
I realized:
I’m kind of a unicorn. There’s no one else exactly like me.
So today, I wore a bikini.
And it felt damn good.