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| photo by Connor Kloster © 2011 |
This photo makes me feel like I am a belly dancer.
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Monday, December 5, 2011
Day 23-Let it Be Belly
This beautiful belly photo showed up on my Facebook page from my cousin Judy! Her belly comes with a story of miracles and love.
"I've been following your belly blog. It inspired me to share with you my belly. Let me just say....I used to love my belly! Thought it was the sexiest part of me. Had the belly button ring and it was flat and beautiful! But I gave up the ring and gained stretch marks and flab. Would I trade anything to have the young belly back? No! With every stretch mark came love! A love that I would NEVER give for anything! My babies were worth every pound and scar!
Let It Be!"
I was immediately reminded of a post Judy had on Facebook just a few days before about a conversation she had with her son, Jules.
"Good heart felt crying with my Jules tonight. Telling him and relaying stories to him of why he is here today. God bless my beautiful, wonderful and amazingly strong Mom! Thank you (words can't describe) to the organ donors! Just a great feeling to tell my son how amazing that he is here today! <3 Hey Jude..."
Here is the story I have heard my whole life of Sharon (Judy's mom) in Judy's words. I remember the first time I met Judy and her mom I had a hard time talking. I just kept looking at them in awe. I was standing in front of 2 miracles.
"When my mom was a teenager she was diagnosed with kidney disease. Undiagnosed infections were destroying her kidneys. Her first transplant was in 1972 from a young donor that had died in an accident. After months of dialysis, her life could finally go back to normal. Because of the anti-rejection drugs and being immuno-surpressed, she was advised to not become pregnant. But oops...in 1975, she became pregnant with me. Some doctors told her to have an abortion. Some said I would be retarded bc of the meds. But she would not give up. She wanted me. So, April 16, 1976, Good Friday, I was born. 4 lbs and 1/2 oz. I was the 49th child in the world to be born from a mother who had already had a kidney transplant. I was named after St. Jude. The saint of hopeless cases. I was a little sick after I was born, but I pulled thru. My mom was now slowly losing her transplanted kidney. Just when she was about to start dialysis again, she got the call that they had a kidney. In November of 1977, she received her second transplant which functioned normally till the day God called her home...33 years!
My mom had had many surgeries and other problems throughout the years. She had two heart valve replacements....the first with a St. Jude valve. That one failed in 1997 and she had it replaced with a cadaver valve from a donor. So, organ donors have played a huge part in our lives. If it wouldn't have been for them, my mom wouldn't have stayed alive and would never have had me. And if I was never born, then my children wouldn't be here either. When deciding what to name our first child, my husband, a HUGE Beatles fan, really wanted the name Julian...after Lennon's son and the song Hey Jude. I always thought the song Hey Jude was written for me. It always helped me in hard times when I listened to it. So, naming our son Julian was like naming him after me. And carrying on circle of life."
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| photo by Judith Fabris Kupsik ˝© 2011 |
"I've been following your belly blog. It inspired me to share with you my belly. Let me just say....I used to love my belly! Thought it was the sexiest part of me. Had the belly button ring and it was flat and beautiful! But I gave up the ring and gained stretch marks and flab. Would I trade anything to have the young belly back? No! With every stretch mark came love! A love that I would NEVER give for anything! My babies were worth every pound and scar!
Let It Be!"I was immediately reminded of a post Judy had on Facebook just a few days before about a conversation she had with her son, Jules.
"Good heart felt crying with my Jules tonight. Telling him and relaying stories to him of why he is here today. God bless my beautiful, wonderful and amazingly strong Mom! Thank you (words can't describe) to the organ donors! Just a great feeling to tell my son how amazing that he is here today! <3 Hey Jude..."
Here is the story I have heard my whole life of Sharon (Judy's mom) in Judy's words. I remember the first time I met Judy and her mom I had a hard time talking. I just kept looking at them in awe. I was standing in front of 2 miracles.
"When my mom was a teenager she was diagnosed with kidney disease. Undiagnosed infections were destroying her kidneys. Her first transplant was in 1972 from a young donor that had died in an accident. After months of dialysis, her life could finally go back to normal. Because of the anti-rejection drugs and being immuno-surpressed, she was advised to not become pregnant. But oops...in 1975, she became pregnant with me. Some doctors told her to have an abortion. Some said I would be retarded bc of the meds. But she would not give up. She wanted me. So, April 16, 1976, Good Friday, I was born. 4 lbs and 1/2 oz. I was the 49th child in the world to be born from a mother who had already had a kidney transplant. I was named after St. Jude. The saint of hopeless cases. I was a little sick after I was born, but I pulled thru. My mom was now slowly losing her transplanted kidney. Just when she was about to start dialysis again, she got the call that they had a kidney. In November of 1977, she received her second transplant which functioned normally till the day God called her home...33 years!
My mom had had many surgeries and other problems throughout the years. She had two heart valve replacements....the first with a St. Jude valve. That one failed in 1997 and she had it replaced with a cadaver valve from a donor. So, organ donors have played a huge part in our lives. If it wouldn't have been for them, my mom wouldn't have stayed alive and would never have had me. And if I was never born, then my children wouldn't be here either. When deciding what to name our first child, my husband, a HUGE Beatles fan, really wanted the name Julian...after Lennon's son and the song Hey Jude. I always thought the song Hey Jude was written for me. It always helped me in hard times when I listened to it. So, naming our son Julian was like naming him after me. And carrying on circle of life."
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| Judy and her Mom, Sharon with their St. Jude necklaces on. |
Sunday, December 4, 2011
Day 22-Christmas Spirit Belly
We got our Christmas tree yesterday and naturally I thought about taking a belly picture. Funny how taking pictures of my belly is becoming natural now. I tried to make it discreet but one woman stopped her car to watch. She left with a smile on her face. That made my day.
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| photo by Sophie Taylor-Havens © 2011 |
Friday, December 2, 2011
Day 21-Knitting Belly
I didn't get my hula hoop yet because someone suggested that I shouldn't buy myself anything before the holidays. I hope that person is getting me a hula hoop. So, I started knitting a pair of orange mittens for a friend for their birthday instead.
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| Knitting mittens |
Day 20-Hula Hoop Belly
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| Mara's hula hoop belly |
"I've never liked my belly, but your blog is inspiring me to try to foster love and gratitude for my belly. I figure a picture of it online is a good start."
You have a beautiful belly and you are a beautiful person Mara! And I am getting a hula hoop today! Thanks for inspiring me Mara!
For the record, here is mine from yesterday.
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| flower belly getting ready to hula hoop today. |
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Day 19-Yoga Belly
Teresa's Yoga Belly
Guest belly #2
"I remember the first time I realized I was fat. I was five years old. I've always struggled with my body image... through childhood, pregnancy, and eating disorders, my belly has always been my enemy. I never thought I'd have the courage to embrace it enough to actually take this picture and share it with the world.
I just got back from yoga when I read The Belly Blogs's request for a guest belly. Yoga helps me appreciate my body. Every day I roll out my matt I know I'm doing something positive and healthy for myself. This is my yoga belly."
Teresa wrote this to accompany the picture of her yoga belly. You have a beautiful belly Teresa! I was sad to read your struggles started so young. And I am so grateful for your courage and I am honored to have your beautiful belly on my blog. I love you.
Here is my belly for the day. I was thinking about a drawing I did that I gave Teresa with two figures peeking out from behind tomb stones. I went to the cemetery to take this picture. I like to consider this a symbolic gesture to once and for all, bury all the negatives and embrace our beautiful Goddess bodies.
Guest belly #2
"I remember the first time I realized I was fat. I was five years old. I've always struggled with my body image... through childhood, pregnancy, and eating disorders, my belly has always been my enemy. I never thought I'd have the courage to embrace it enough to actually take this picture and share it with the world.
I just got back from yoga when I read The Belly Blogs's request for a guest belly. Yoga helps me appreciate my body. Every day I roll out my matt I know I'm doing something positive and healthy for myself. This is my yoga belly."
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| photo by Matt Thompson ©2011 |
Teresa wrote this to accompany the picture of her yoga belly. You have a beautiful belly Teresa! I was sad to read your struggles started so young. And I am so grateful for your courage and I am honored to have your beautiful belly on my blog. I love you.
Here is my belly for the day. I was thinking about a drawing I did that I gave Teresa with two figures peeking out from behind tomb stones. I went to the cemetery to take this picture. I like to consider this a symbolic gesture to once and for all, bury all the negatives and embrace our beautiful Goddess bodies.
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| at the cemetery |
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