We Need to Do Better

I read something today that just broke my heart. A woman referred to her two clients as “very plus size.” She wanted tips on how to photograph them like it’s any different than photographing a skinny woman! And the worst part is the shoot she’s doing is for two maternity shoots.

This breaks my heart on so many levels. But mostly because as a plus size woman myself who just had a baby and maternity pictures done, I know first hand the insecurities that go along with your changing body. My biggest insecurity was that no one would even know I was pregnant, but instead think I just put on a few pounds.

As women we are raised to believe we need to be small, we need to be a certain way, or a certain color. There are women bleaching their skin because they feel ugly in the skin God gave them. We have women on the show “The Titan” who were raised to believe as a woman your job is to graduate high school, get married and have babies not playing sports or working out or lifting weights because that’s not ladylike. She became a Titan on the show, she was stronger than any of the other contenders despite her upbringing.

As little girls we are told we need to be this or that. We can’t be bigger cause it’s ugly, we won’t ever find love if we are big, we can’t be too nice or too pretty or too smart or too anything without being made fun of. We have little girls going into depression or having suicidal thoughts or worse actually committing suicide because of what other girls are telling them or saying behind their backs.

We as women need to do better! We need to build each other up, not break each other down, not judge one another. We need to encourage one another! We need to be proud of one another’s accomplishments and celebrate them just the same. We need to support each other. Especially in situations like this, when every women should feel beautiful and blessed because they are carrying a gift straight from God himself! No woman should ever refer to another woman as being “very plus size!” We need to stop setting this kind of example for our daughters. We get enough negative influence from the media, magazines and every other thing in society today. We need to be better for ourselves and for the next generations.

It just breaks my heart and I hope and pray neither of those two beautiful pregnant women saw the post from their photographer asking for tips on how to photograph them because they are bigger. They are beautiful and they should know it. Making a little human is beautiful no matter what size you are and it should be celebrated!