Just keep swimming...

I wore a bathing suit today. In public. In front of strangers.

I wore a bathing suit even though nothing except a modest wear suit would cover the scar rainbowing across the left side of my chest...even though nothing covers the severely puckered skin near the center of my chest where my skin just didn't heal right.

I wore a bathing suit even though I felt like every eye was on me, and not for the reasons they were on me in my 20's.

I wore a bathing suit because my husband was so excited to tell me yesterday that a spot opened up at the community club.

I wore a bathing suit because it's been unbearably hot here for over a week with not much relief in sight and we now had access to a pool.

I wore a bathing suit because my son said "Mama, will you please go to the pool with us?"

I wore a bathing suit because I got to play with my son in the water for over an hour..and no one pointed at me or stared overtly. (some kids were a bit confused when they saw the scars though, but that's okay)

I wore a bathing suit because I was able to stretch out my still nowhere near fully mobile arm and it didn't hurt.

I wore a bathing suit because I want my daughter to always know it's okay to look however you are going to look and I want my son to know that a woman's worth is not in how perfect she looks.

I wore a bathing suit because I'm here, and able to, and I don't even forget that.