Dear Teenage Me,
You are beautiful, just as you are! You are the only person on planet Earth who is exactly like you. There is no one as beautiful as you are; you are PERFECTLY imperfect.
You should love yourself and your body unconditionally, just as you are. When I started to love my tiger stripes and my body instead of wanting to change it, I finally started to love myself.
Tiger stripes, also known as stretch marks, are more common than you think. I remember it like it was yesterday: my body started to change pretty quickly when I was around 14, and I put on some body weight faster than my skin could stretch. This resulted in stretch marks—tiger stripes—on my buttocks, inner thighs, and upper hamstrings.
I hated them; I hated them so much! I was so embarrassed that I didn't want to change in front of other girls after soccer practice and other sports at school. I hated wearing shorts and a bikini because I was so ashamed of my tiger stripes. I always thought that people would think they looked gross or that I was fat because I had them. Something I wish I had known earlier is that you don’t only get them when gaining weight; you can also get them when losing weight or even for no real reason at all. They are a part of your body and you! In my eyes, I didn’t know anyone else who had tiger stripes, which was another reason why I tried to hide them and hated them so much.
Looking back, it was probably more common than I thought because you never see things on others the way you do on yourself. It wasn’t easy, and it has taken me a long time to feel comfortable in my body and with my tiger stripes. It wasn’t until my mid-20s that I really felt okay walking around in a bikini and proudly showing off my tiger stripes. Instead of being embarrassed by them, I started to think that they are a part of me and my body, and because of them, I am who I am today. They helped me grow and become a strong, independent woman who can perform in life and lift heavy weights. All stretch marks tell a story, either in their maturity or growth.
For me, it was growth; the fact that my body grew makes me the woman I am today. For some women, stretch marks might come after being pregnant, and that’s a wonderful thing! They forever keep a memory of being pregnant with your child. In my eyes, it is a mark from your child that will always be a part of your body. It’s like a skin tattoo from carrying your child.
"Love your body, and your body will love you back." There is absolutely no one else out there like you. You are beautiful, your body is beautiful, and your tiger stripes are beautiful. Take care of your body and love your body because that is the only home you will live in forever.
Lots of love,
Josefine Holmberg
