You don’t look like a Victoria’s Secret model. So what? Almost none of us do. That said, when we look in the mirror that droopy mum belly or our thicker than sticks thighs may make us do a double take.
Then the self-doubt sets in. We compare what we have to the Photoshopped pictures in magazines or to models and Insta-celebrities who are barely out of their teens. Sure, you were totally able to sport that mini skirt 15 years and three kids ago. But, the fact that you’re not quite in Gigi Hadid-shape right now mean you’re any less of a person? For that matter, does it mean your body is any less than any other woman’s? No, of course not.
Well, one superhero-like woman took to the streets to prove this point. Amy Pence-Brown stopped in the middle of a busy open-air market in Boise, Idaho. She took her clothes off, leaving just a basic bikini on. Did she have a swimsuit model figure? No. Did she care? No.
The ultra-brave woman blindfolded herself and asked the people passing by to show some love and acceptance. She placed a sign in front of her feet, reading “I’m standing for anyone who has struggled with a self-esteem issue like me. Because all bodies are valuable. To support self-acceptance, draw a heart on my body.”
Pence-Brown worried that people would ridicule her. But, that never happened. Instead, she got heart after heart after heart (and a few hugs too!).
With more 13 million views on Facebook, this video has brought in comments galore. While most of them are of the, “This is so awesome” variety, not everyone has been so nice (perhaps pointing out the negativity that Pence-Brown had originally thought she would get). From blaming Pence-Brown herself for having low self-esteem to saying that she’s just not healthy, the Facebook comments were flying.
Okay, we all know that everyone can’t agree all of the time. But, why shame a woman who is just being herself? No one’s perfect, and we all have issues. As one commenter wrote, “I believe everyone had self-esteem issues to some degree. She was brave but the acceptance from people she received brought tears to my eyes. Usually people just walk by not caring. Bless these people.”
