Scream

Last week I had an experience that really made me want to scream. A good friend has just got engaged, and is in the process of selecting a dress. A very exciting event you would think. We, unfortunately stumbled on a social disgrace that should be shouted from the mountain tops. My dear friend is what people politely call big. She is one of the most beautiful woman I have met. In trying on dresses I noticed a discrepancy. She would be a size 16 or 18. The dresses she tried on were 24 +. And to make matters worse, some of them were too small. In normal life I get upset with the social pressures for thinness. One would think that when considering weddings that the world would want the bride to feel like a million dollars on the day. The one day where she is the princess and is the most beautiful woman in the world. How is she to feel so special when her dress is labelled a couple of sizes bigger than she actually is. I would love to have a shop where all women sized 16 would fit into a 14, where the dresses had labels like "gorgeous", "stunning" and "wow, what a woman". One would think that on such a special day a woman would be made to feel special.

I get so angry with society with all the waif, and paper thin expectations that they put out there. What ever happened to the "real women" of the world? Art from the 1800's had real women. They had curves and a bit of softness to them. Absolutely nothing like the stick thin norm of today. We have women a size 10 who exclaim that they are "too fat". The mental scars and prolific eating disorders resulting from this are astounding! And I feel very angry that such a dear friend can feel so bad about her "special day". Wouldn't it be lovely to have a social trend going towards the "real women", making the thin people the outsiders. I have no ill feeling towards those who are thin, I am told I am one of them. I just know that of all my friends it is the "normal" women who are the most precious, the most loving, the most understanding, the most beautiful of all. Us women should celebrate our curves. The come from bearing the next generation, from a love of the beautiful things in life (food and wine), and of letting it all hang out. Life is so short, we need to let it all hang out. That way, when we are negotiating with St Peter at the pearly gates we can say that we have lived our lives from within. We have appreciated the beautiful things in life, and have been honest with ourselves. The big thing in life is to be honest to ourselves. Our bodies are simple vehicles for our souls. While the vehicle might change, wear, or erode a bit, the soul is the important bit. It is our soul that makes us who we are. I have come across so many women who are the required size 8 or 10, and to be honest their soul is a hollow shell. Most of my friends are 14 or above, and I can say that I am surrounded by the most beautiful people in the world. Their souls are just amazing, and I am truly blessed to be associated with them.

Society needs to take stock. Lets celebrate the real women of the world. The waifs don't last that long. I mean really, they starve themselves into oblivion. People would be surprised the number of men that say "you need a real woman to cuddle, skin and bones are just too uncomfortable". Makes you think hey.