Today, my body turns THIRTY.
I say “my body” because I truly don’t feel like my mind is this old. It’s kinda stuck in that pre-puberty time when fart jokes were fun and you didn’t undress in front of others in the locker room.
I was a late bloomer.
My body though, well, it’s not thirteen anymore (thank God!). And today, in this particular thirtieth year of it’s existence, I’d like to honor my body by writing it a love letter.
You’re welcome, Body.
———
Dear 30-Year Old Body,
You simply amaze me.
Your strength.
Your adaptation to change.
The way that move when my mind wills you to move.
I love that you’re so willing to work for me.
With nary a complaint. (Except that whole plantar fasciitis thing. That was particularly uncool of you.)
Dear Body,
I’m so so very sorry for neglecting you in the past.
For starving you and making you weak.
I’m putting my best effort into treating you right NOW.
Fueling you with good foods, backing off from aggressive exercising and listening more intently when you need chocolate.
A work in progress. Always.
Oh, Body,
I’m grateful for the babies you’ve grown.
That fact alone makes me weep with joy.
You are amazing. A miracle of function.
Two children later, and you look better than before!
Thank you for that. My husband thanks you for that.
Please Body,
You can stop anytime with the gray hairs, the stretch marks and spider veins.
The wrinkles too. Those can go.
Although I do think they show just how happy we both are. JOY lines.
Fine, they can stay.
My Body,
In this next year, let’s get stronger together.
Learn to do some new things.
Please kip for me. Or run a trail marathon. Or do a handstand pushup.
Or grow another baby.
Let’s do all of that.
Together.
I love you.
Happy Birthday.
xoxo
QUESTION: When is YOUR birthday – How old is your body? Finish this statement: Dear Body…..
splendid…lindsay
This is an awesome letter! Own that body, strength, mind and body!!! I am so with you on that! and you look fantastic!!
This is one of the many reasons why I read your blog…I love the positive outlook that you have on life…on your body…on being happy with what God has given you. All too often we take our bodies for granted…pushing it to do more than it probably should…not giving it rest when it begs for it. I have only RECENTLY begun to speak the same language as my body and can finally say that we have become good friends. I definitely owe my body a love letter or two…or three! ;)
My birthday is in December. My body is 27. Sometimes I feel like I should be much further away from 30 than I actually am, but then other days I feel like I’m twenty years older. Haha!
Dear Body, thank you for surviving my college years, even though I neglected everything you tried to tell me you needed and instead forced you to stay up all hours, drink too much, and eat things I wouldn’t now touch with a ten foot pole. Thank you for protecting my bones from my accident prone ways and healing quickly after all my spills. Thank you for responding to the recent changes I’ve made and becoming firmer and stronger each day. Now, could I please have biceps like Lindsay? If you give me that, I promise to quit complaining about my spider veins! xoxo
That is amazing!!! You touched my heart!!!
Happy Birthday! This is an inspiring and beautiful letter.
HAPPY 30th birthday body….and Happy 14th Lindsay! :) You are beautiful and a daily inspiration!
That was a great post…and thanks, I needed that!! I’m turning 40 in a couple of weeks but when you look at it the way you did, it doesn’t seem so bad ;) I too have grown two healthy beautiful babies, stay pretty fit and even ran my first 3 half marathons in this last year :) And… I really agree with the gray hair and spider vein comments, they can go away!!! Thanks again, and Happy Birthday!!
this is beautiful. YOU are beautiful!
I LOVE that last photo – so happy!
Happy Birthday to you Lindsay! I know exactly how you feel when you say your mind does not feel like it’s getting old..I feel the same way too! However, you still seem like your body is working wonders for you..even with the things you may not like so much you still love and appreciate it so much! me not so much the case..My body started doing some crazy things after 30 lol
My Dear Body letter would say: Dear Body..are you sure you’re mine?? Have you belonged to someone else before this? I know I haven’t treated you very kindly and I’ve neglected you for most of my life..but please forgive me for this and allow me the strength to persevere through the rest of my life..to be able to stay healthy and energetic for my sake and for my son. Please forgive me but please don’t forget that I will always love you <3
Thanks for doing this Lindsay! That felt great to say that..I already feel a slight lift off my shoulders and lower back..and more love in my heart! xo
First timer right here on your blog btw..Fantastic post!
first of all, happy birthday! secondly, i love this post!! its so easy to be hard on yourself (aka your body) but when you really think about it, it’s truly amazing what its capable of. im learning this right now since im 35 weeks pregnant-so crazy. not just the pregnancy stuff but day to day life..its pretty awesome. happy bday!
Love it! Happy birthday Lindsay!!!
My body turned 32 in February- so it’s almost 32.5. HOW did that happen? Don’t you still feel like you’re a college kid sometimes?
Love your letter to your body. It’s so important that we THANK our bodies for being so strong and allowing us to LIVE.
Happy Birthday, beautiful! We’ll celebrate in September. :)
haha, I hate to say I thought that was a gray hair in your last post. Sorry for the late birthday wishes, but I’m way behind on my blog reader, anyways happy late birthday!!
Happy Birthday!
My 42nd birthday is the end of this month. Gah!
Dear Body,
Thank you for growing and sustaining two awesome boys, but please never do that again. You are amazingly strong and put up with a lot. How ’bout I agree to play a little nicer and you agree to stop throwing injuries in my path? And really, if you’d like to pick the boobs back up, instead of hanging them down by my naval, I’d be ok with that too…
;o)
My body will be 46 in September, but my mind feels older!!! My body is stronger now than it was at 30 and I can still wear clothes from then, but won’t due to the style changes.. (can you say – dated trendy??) I love that it has accepted the challenges of heavy weights and tabatas that still kick my butt…
HAPPY 30th, LINDSAY! To a woman who is strong, beautiful, bold, secure in who she is, loved by many and honest before others, cheers to the next year of new growth and adventures! I appreciate you and love you even though I haven’t met you – isn’t that so neat about this community? One day we’ll meet and I’ll buy you a belated bday drink or we’ll do a belated bday workout together. :D Grateful God brought you into this world!
Dear Body,
Thank you for helping me experience a fuller life – through motion, through laughter, through conversations, through being present with others.
My body is 38 (WHAT???!!!), but I haven’t aged since i was 27. :)
I love this post!
Happy Birfday to you!
Dear body – I’m not there yet, but I’m doing my best to figure out what you need and give it to you.
Amazing post, Lindsay! You seriously never run out of inspirational things to write. Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday Lindsay! Looking great at 30!!
Gosh, Lindsay. This was beautiful! I would love to follow your “grow another baby” journey!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Age is just a number and you demonstrate that beautifully. Also, you share a birthday with my sister Morgan who you will meet next week! (so stoked). Have a great day lady.
I LOVED THIS POST!! Happy Birthday :)
My body is 22. And I’m so grateful for the condition that it is in. I see people my age who aren’t as active or don’t care as much for themselves, and I’m glad I’m not in that position. I’m happy I can push myself … and my body enjoys being pushed!
Enjoy your day!
Happy Birthday!! This is such a beautiful post. Our bodies are pretty amazing things. Your 30s are a pretty great time. Just saying.
i think i’m still a hormonal mess right now, i’m totally sobbing over this!
i still feed like i just graduated from high school, but i know that my mind is a leeeeeeettle older than that, so we’ll go with 22. you know, so i can still drink and stuff :)
Dear Body,
Thank you for putting up with me these past 28 years. I know I haven’t been fair to you a lot of the time, but the way that you’ve grown and adapted and helped me to learn to love both you and my mind has been awesome. You really are beautifully and wonderfully made! I love you :)
You are such a great example on how to love your body, love your age, and just love where you are – while still being willing to take on new challenges and get even better. Happy 30th my friend!! =)
My body will turn 25 in late October! Haha and I feel like I’m still waiting for it to “bloom”… haha. I need to learn to love my body more.
Such a great post! Happy Birthday! :)
Happy Happy Birthday, Lindsay!! I can’t wait to read about your adventures in those last 3 things you listed…I’m predicting baby news in the near future! :)
Yeah, all of that last stuff. I’ll teach you to kip. Travis can probably help with that baby thing. You’re on your own for the marathon, but I know you can do it.
Love you, friend.
Another baby…?!?
Dear body, thank you for giving me feet to wander, for eyebrows to pluck, for toes to feel the sand between, for teeth to get chia seeds stuck in, for eyes to see the beauty around me, for fingernails to paint, and for a heart to love and share love with those in my life. You’re great.
Simply beautiful words spoken with such honesty and heart. I LOVE your heart!! Happy birthday girl!
To answer you:
Dear body…I love you, just the way that you are. <3
I am 31 so just think…at least you are younger than me! :)
Dear Body…please let me have a baby and stop miscarrying my miracles. Please? Thank you.
Happy Birthday! My body is 29. Thanks for the strong legs that have taken me many places and helped me to keep on going.
Happy Birthday to you and your strong body!!!
My body just turned 28 a couple weeks ago. Dear body, I had no idea what you were capable of until recently. I’m amazed at your strength, even though I’ve sometimes doubted you. I promise to take good care of you and be proud of you every day.
What an awesome post, Lindsay. You look amazing and ARE amazing, so it works, haha.
Happy birthday!!!
Dear Body, please remember to read this post next year on your 30th. Sometimes you feel broken, but I appreciate your strength and support.
Happy Birthday Lindsay!!!
I love this! You are strong and amazing! And this coming year will be epic!
My body is 34 but I still think farting is funny! Happy Birthday!
I’m like “Dear 30-year-old body, Please come back to me!” Just kidding! This was so beautiful. And darn you for making me get *almost* teary about growing another baby. You better not get me pregnant this year!! I love your posts. xoxo
let’s get pregnant together!! :)
i think my last comment went to spam, uh oh. Bring it back! <3
i fished you out! ;)
that body is getting stronger and more beautiful each day! What an inspiration you are friend. God’s temple shining bright, full of life!
Dear Body, thank you for hands to serve.
My body is 32, and I’m so grateful for every day that it let’s me enjoy the things I like to do. I’ve spent too much time putting my body down, that I need to pay more attention to the positive side of things.
Happy, happy birthday!! My body is 27 (bday nov 30th) and I’m so grateful for the baby it’s growing right now!
thanks, Nicole!! I love your little pregnant body!!
Happy Birthday girl! What a beautiful and lovely post.
My body is 25 and I often find myself hating on it for producing more gray hairs and achy muscles and bones than I think a 25 year old body should have. With that…
Dear body, Thank you for being so strong even when I haven’t treated you right. We’ve been through a lot but ultimately we’ve been able to push through and be a better version of ourselves. Thank you for that.