The Middle of Your Journey

I'm about to get real. Last week, I posted I had gotten back to my pre-pregnancy weight. And that is true; however, that is not the whole truth. One of those surprises post partum is HOW my body is different now than it was before going full-term. There are obvious differences I was "prepared" for like nursing, stretch marks, and extra skin. But, personally, the biggest difference lies in the way my body holds its weight. Namely, my rib cage and my hips/lower back. No one told me that my rib cage would STAY expanded making my current wardrobe almost obsolete! And while I knew my hips would expand, I didn't know that it would twist and turn in ways that aren't conducive to ALL the years of hardwork I put in before pregnancy to help my spine. I admit, I feel defeated some days. But that defeat comes from the WRONG mental thinking. I am comparing myself to someone who had never given birth before. Someone who had a DIFFERENT SET OF PRIORITIES. Someone whose body was their own.
Many days I look around and see the mountain tops far away--beautiful with the sun shining directly on them. And all I can see is the valley with its shadows and tight rocky corners. But it's only in the valley that the flowers bloom and the moss thrives on the fresh river water. And that's when I see that the mountain I am trying to climb isn't the one that is BEHIND me, but the one IN FRONT of me! It is a different mountain. With different challenges and different obstacles. A mountain with a different view at the top that is still breathtakingly amazing.
God made my body beautiful. Before and after pregnancy, before and after the ecstasy of the mountain top. And dare I say it... even in the middle of the valley!
Stop looking at the mountains you've already climbed. They were there to give the skills to climb the new one in front of you and don't forget to enjoy the view!