Every woman who loves her body- please read on.
Since I was growing up, my very conscious mom came down heavily upon me for being fat. She still compares me to every other girl a decade younger to me. Come on mom, I am in my 3rd decade and can’t be compared to a nymph in her 20’s.
I call myself lean except, well! Heavily endowed on my chest and have a cute rounded potbelly.
I never understood the entire ruckus about having an hour glass figure. I loved my body as it was and have been true to my body up to this date. Every person in the family wanted me to be discontented with my imperfect body so that I could feel ashamed and scaled down to be presentable to a future prospective groom and I couldn't relent on loving myself.
Let me tell you the stories that make me love my imperfections.
Mistaken to be Mommy!
A few years ago we went visiting a relative who just had a baby. Since I love those little angels, I was eager to take it in my arms and closer to my heartbeat. It’s nice to hear their fast beat against your slower rhythm. After a while the baby felt quite drowsy listening to our hearts and so I started lowering the baby on my lap.
Suddenly, to every ones surprise the baby reached out towards my chest in persuit of its food. All the women around me looked at my big asset and started laughing.
They expected me to be embarrassed but I wondered what was so amusing. I felt like a million bucks because the baby thought I was its mother. I can’t express the feeling of joy and a momentary feeling of being a mother that incident brought forth. All the mothers with babies can vouch on how I felt. (p.s- usually very young infants can identify their real mothers through the scent of their mother)
Two cushions and a mattress !!
I have three girl cousins who are two and a half decades younger than me and also a niece who is a toddler.
Once at lunch time at my uncle’s place, I was holding my infant cousin on my bosom. She was sleepy and everyone else was still having their meal. As I was adjusting my infant cousin on my bosom, I remembered Siddhu’s daddy.
Siddhu’s daddy was a dark skinned, bald, short and stout man who usually lazed on a netted rope cot outside his house on the patio. He always used to be shirtless and wore a checkered cotton loin cloth called a “Lungi” around his waist (mostly worn by south Indian men as it’s extremely hot in south India throughout the year). His hairy potbelly moved up and down with the rhythm of his heart beat as he snored. I felt like giggling whenever I saw it.
As a preschooler, I have a faint memory of my father’s friend whom we visited on many summer Sunday’s. We called him Siddhu’s daddy, who lived in a small wilderness surrounded with tall trees in the suburbs. I remember walking towards the house through the wild undergrowth's with the sun rays beaming down in patterns between the tall trees. It was an adventurous experience for a child who lived in the concrete jungle in one of the most populated cities of the world- Bombay. The memories of those short walks are still alive in me.
His belly was an object of awe. But somehow a comforting feeling always surrounded me. Funnily! His memory always conjured up a feeling that I am sitting on his belly to have a rocker joyride. Hahahahahaah
I told my dad about it once when I remembered him. Dad later told us that Siddhu’s daddy used to lay us on his belly as infants and rock us to sleep while our parents and his family ate lunch in the house.
Aaaahhh!!!! Sweet childhood memories!!!
As the memory consumed me I wanted to lay down on the bed and sleep. But I had a baby in my arms. I adjusted her by placing her on my left bosom so that she could hear my heartbeat to sleep and snuggle my arms around her body which lay warm on my round belly so that I could sleep along with the baby comfortable and secure on top of me.
Suddenly my mom looked at us and with an amused warm look joked about me being a ready and portable cushions and a mattress for all the babies to sleep on. I chuckled and looked down at the sweet sleepy head and kissed it, feeling proud of my assets.
I have since, lent these cushions and a cozy round mattress for quite a few little angels to snuggle into their fairyland sleep and when they grow up, I hope they feel the same way as I feel about Siddhu’s daddy.
Potbelly to the rescue!!
Now this is a wacky one- I usually travel by public transport bus to the school where I work. Usually the bus is crowed and it’s a jumpy joyride of sharp turns, illegal overtakes, potholes, bumps and speed breakers. The ticket conductor has a ticket box hanging from one shoulder and the money bag on the other shoulder. Usually it accidentally hits every commuter’s butt or belly as they try to squeeze their way to the front or to a place that can stand without getting squashed to pulp. And as a gesture of decency every man tries not to touch any women commuter.
Once as I was traveling in the bus, I stood in front of the ticket conductor and gave him the change for my ticket. Suddenly as he was tendering me the ticket from his ticket box, I saw him looking at my stomach. He smiled his sweetest smile, as he gave me the ticket asked me to move near the front seats. He came along and requested a seated young man to give me his seat. The young man was peeved but did as asked. I was surprised at such a gesture and didn’t quite understand why this was happenings.
As I lay my purse on my lap I saw my tummy and suddenly it struck me that it was a bit bloated due water retention before the arrival of my menses.
Oh my good lord! God! The man thought I was pregnant. I looked at my belly again and chuckled inwards thinking about my good fortunes to be escorted to a seat in a crowded bus. Oh! I felt really good. My potbelly came to my rescue.
Another incident to mention- The shopping mall had a mega sale and I visited it in the evening when it was most crowded. I bought a much needed mug and that was the only item in hand as I stood in queue at the cash counters.
Since I was out the entire evening and had not answered the natures call, my tummy had bloated and I was desperate to relieve. I had 3 customers ahead of me now. Leaning against the counter I desperately requested the cashier to bill my mug as I had an emergency. I held my belly instinctively hoping my bladder wouldn’t burst. Suddenly the young couple in front of me saw my gesture and my belly which was almost on top of the counter. I felt a sense of premonition; I guessed that they thought I was pregnant. They looked at each other and requested me to jump the line. I went along with the charade and didn’t say anything. As I left thanking the cashier I smiled thanks to the couple who beamed at me with understanding. Once again my potbelly rescued me.
Since I was growing up, my very conscious mom came down heavily upon me for being fat. She still compares me to every other girl a decade younger to me. Come on mom, I am in my 3rd decade and can’t be compared to a nymph in her 20’s.
I call myself lean except, well! Heavily endowed on my chest and have a cute rounded potbelly.
I never understood the entire ruckus about having an hour glass figure. I loved my body as it was and have been true to my body up to this date. Every person in the family wanted me to be discontented with my imperfect body so that I could feel ashamed and scaled down to be presentable to a future prospective groom and I couldn't relent on loving myself.
Let me tell you the stories that make me love my imperfections.
Mistaken to be Mommy!
A few years ago we went visiting a relative who just had a baby. Since I love those little angels, I was eager to take it in my arms and closer to my heartbeat. It’s nice to hear their fast beat against your slower rhythm. After a while the baby felt quite drowsy listening to our hearts and so I started lowering the baby on my lap.
Suddenly, to every ones surprise the baby reached out towards my chest in persuit of its food. All the women around me looked at my big asset and started laughing.
They expected me to be embarrassed but I wondered what was so amusing. I felt like a million bucks because the baby thought I was its mother. I can’t express the feeling of joy and a momentary feeling of being a mother that incident brought forth. All the mothers with babies can vouch on how I felt. (p.s- usually very young infants can identify their real mothers through the scent of their mother)
Two cushions and a mattress !!
I have three girl cousins who are two and a half decades younger than me and also a niece who is a toddler.
Once at lunch time at my uncle’s place, I was holding my infant cousin on my bosom. She was sleepy and everyone else was still having their meal. As I was adjusting my infant cousin on my bosom, I remembered Siddhu’s daddy.
Siddhu’s daddy was a dark skinned, bald, short and stout man who usually lazed on a netted rope cot outside his house on the patio. He always used to be shirtless and wore a checkered cotton loin cloth called a “Lungi” around his waist (mostly worn by south Indian men as it’s extremely hot in south India throughout the year). His hairy potbelly moved up and down with the rhythm of his heart beat as he snored. I felt like giggling whenever I saw it.
As a preschooler, I have a faint memory of my father’s friend whom we visited on many summer Sunday’s. We called him Siddhu’s daddy, who lived in a small wilderness surrounded with tall trees in the suburbs. I remember walking towards the house through the wild undergrowth's with the sun rays beaming down in patterns between the tall trees. It was an adventurous experience for a child who lived in the concrete jungle in one of the most populated cities of the world- Bombay. The memories of those short walks are still alive in me.
His belly was an object of awe. But somehow a comforting feeling always surrounded me. Funnily! His memory always conjured up a feeling that I am sitting on his belly to have a rocker joyride. Hahahahahaah
I told my dad about it once when I remembered him. Dad later told us that Siddhu’s daddy used to lay us on his belly as infants and rock us to sleep while our parents and his family ate lunch in the house.
Aaaahhh!!!! Sweet childhood memories!!!
As the memory consumed me I wanted to lay down on the bed and sleep. But I had a baby in my arms. I adjusted her by placing her on my left bosom so that she could hear my heartbeat to sleep and snuggle my arms around her body which lay warm on my round belly so that I could sleep along with the baby comfortable and secure on top of me.
Suddenly my mom looked at us and with an amused warm look joked about me being a ready and portable cushions and a mattress for all the babies to sleep on. I chuckled and looked down at the sweet sleepy head and kissed it, feeling proud of my assets.
I have since, lent these cushions and a cozy round mattress for quite a few little angels to snuggle into their fairyland sleep and when they grow up, I hope they feel the same way as I feel about Siddhu’s daddy.
Potbelly to the rescue!!
Now this is a wacky one- I usually travel by public transport bus to the school where I work. Usually the bus is crowed and it’s a jumpy joyride of sharp turns, illegal overtakes, potholes, bumps and speed breakers. The ticket conductor has a ticket box hanging from one shoulder and the money bag on the other shoulder. Usually it accidentally hits every commuter’s butt or belly as they try to squeeze their way to the front or to a place that can stand without getting squashed to pulp. And as a gesture of decency every man tries not to touch any women commuter.
Once as I was traveling in the bus, I stood in front of the ticket conductor and gave him the change for my ticket. Suddenly as he was tendering me the ticket from his ticket box, I saw him looking at my stomach. He smiled his sweetest smile, as he gave me the ticket asked me to move near the front seats. He came along and requested a seated young man to give me his seat. The young man was peeved but did as asked. I was surprised at such a gesture and didn’t quite understand why this was happenings.
As I lay my purse on my lap I saw my tummy and suddenly it struck me that it was a bit bloated due water retention before the arrival of my menses.
Oh my good lord! God! The man thought I was pregnant. I looked at my belly again and chuckled inwards thinking about my good fortunes to be escorted to a seat in a crowded bus. Oh! I felt really good. My potbelly came to my rescue.
Another incident to mention- The shopping mall had a mega sale and I visited it in the evening when it was most crowded. I bought a much needed mug and that was the only item in hand as I stood in queue at the cash counters.
Since I was out the entire evening and had not answered the natures call, my tummy had bloated and I was desperate to relieve. I had 3 customers ahead of me now. Leaning against the counter I desperately requested the cashier to bill my mug as I had an emergency. I held my belly instinctively hoping my bladder wouldn’t burst. Suddenly the young couple in front of me saw my gesture and my belly which was almost on top of the counter. I felt a sense of premonition; I guessed that they thought I was pregnant. They looked at each other and requested me to jump the line. I went along with the charade and didn’t say anything. As I left thanking the cashier I smiled thanks to the couple who beamed at me with understanding. Once again my potbelly rescued me.
OMG! Never expected you to start blogging with such a bang! And bang, I mean, in a very funny way. I can clearly see that little kid over you. Your mother was not wrong in saying that it had a cool mattress. Only that she doesn't realize what it means to you.
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