Mama, get in the pool.

Yes, what once were smooth legs are now billowing with cellulite.

Yes, what once were flat abs are now replaced with at least one layer of fat.

But, it’s time to cool off.

If anyone deserves it, it’s you, mama.

You’ve been working overtime these past few months

with no breaks.

You’ve hardly left the house.

You’ve been

homeschooling,

cleaning,

cooking,

working,

and non-stop worrying without much time for self-care.

And you owe it to yourself not to walk around in a toxic cloud of judgment.

You judge your body.

You sit there picking, pulling, and cinching.

And your kids,

all they see is beauty.

And they’re right.

Because let’s remember what your body did.

It grew in the most beautiful way.

It was a time of two heartbeats within one body.

It was a time where your stomach grew so big that you couldn’t see your toes,

and you giggled like a waterfall and took pride in your size.

Your body today deserves that same respect.

You deserve to be happy on these summer days, and not trapped in a disorientating haze.

You know the days where your sweat is even warm, and your hair is stuck to your body.

Those days where everything feels uncomfortable and sticky.

You want to go inside, but you have to watch your kids—

and look at them, splashing around and having so much fun.

Mama, get in the pool with them.

Don’t you want them to get into the pool with their kids one day?

So, show them how it’s done.

This summer, let’s say no to muggy heat,

and yes, to fun in the sun…

…and that starts with jumping in.

This post originally appeared on the author's Facebook. Her book Living FULL: Winning My Battle with Eating Disorder is available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2O4mJId