Arthur and Body Image

Last year, when we went to Noah’s Ark, I wore my bikini with some swim shorts, because I wasn’t really that happy about my appearance. I ended up ditching the shorts as we were leaving because they got pretty uncomfortable.

This year, despite the fact that I’m more out of shape than I was last year, I decided to ditch the shorts and just wear the damn bikini. I’ll be honest, I used to judge people who were a little bit heavier and yet still chose to wear the skinnier girl stuff – I used to conform to societal standards of beauty. But as my RA has gotten worse, I’ve realized that it isn’t my place to judge anyone, just like it isn’t their place to judge me. I don’t know their lives, what they’re facing, or the things they’ve been through. They likewise don’t know the problems I face just getting out of bed sometimes.

At first, I will admit, I was a little self-conscious – partially because of the weight, but also because of my VERY pale skin. The RA also makes it so parts of me don’t necessarily look as good. For a while growing up, I hated wearing shorts because of the way my knees look. After a while of walking around though, I noticed a few other brave souls who didn’t give a crap about what anyone else thought about them. It helped give me more confidence. I suddenly stopped caring what other people thought of me and started focusing on really having fun.

It was the most fun I’ve had while flaring… Well, probably ever. Being in the water, there was less pressure on my joints. Even being out of the water, the sun helped to loosen them up a little. And on top of that, I felt amazing and happy. On top of that, it was a great way to celebrate the boyfriend’s birthday.