Featured: Body Type

My crossfit coach just shared a video (https://youtu.be/CDXxURPagpM) from Crossfit and it couldn't have come at a better time.  Just this last week I was in the Y and when I left I couldn't help but think about when I was younger I had a nickname that my dad called me, Moose.   Imagine for a minute being a young adolescent girl of 12 and younger being called Moose by your dad.  He would call me this and I internalized it and it hurt my feelings because at the age I was all I could think was my dad is calling me fat.  Now let me explain to you I wasn't fat at all but I had that athletic build, quads, calves, glutes, built like an athlete and of course at my age to me I was fat because I was "bigger" than the rest of the girls my age when in reality I was just a developed child with curves to boot!  

Moose finally confronted dad about him calling me this name, this name that I carried around shamefully because I thought I wasn't good enough for my dad and I'm so glad that I got that opportunity before he died.  He called me Moose one day and I said stop calling me that it hurts my feelings and of course it was in a tantrum only an adolescent girl could throw.  He looked at me smiled then started laughing and said "Honey, I'm sorry it hurts your feelings but you are taking this wrong.  I call you Moose because I have never seen a girl especially your age who is as strong as you are and it makes me proud and smile.  You can keep up with the boys and show them up more than half the time.  I call you Moose because of your strength and you should be proud of that."  He then of course hugged me and kissed me and told me to go and show the boys up.

I have never looked like society's idea of the perfect woman.  In my mind there is no ideal perfect woman, you take what God gave you and you flaunt it and wear it loud and proud.  When I found crossfit I thought WOW THESE ARE MY PEOPLE!  Zero judgement and I am celebrated for my strong developed body not snubbed and I LOVE how there are no mirrors in Crossfit Charlotte because as that video says it's not about what your body looks like its about how your body can perform.  

I sit here now at 42 and see what my mind and body can do and I think I have no idea how my dad got it right when I was so young, Moose, because I amaze myself sometimes at how strong my body is and I amaze myself at how strong my mind is.  So thank you Dad and thank you Crossfit because now when I walk around and I don't fit society's standards I just look up and think I hope you see this Daddy, Moose is walking proud.  

peace and love, dawn

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