Today could not be a better day for me to sit down and write some fiction. I’m feeling a little swarmed by real life and am excited to hide out in a camp of fictitious words. Fiction is great for escapism, don’t you think?
Today’s story idea is being sparked by this beautiful shot from Molly Stroud, writer, photographer and all-round inspiration. This photo, which uses Molly’s hashtag #lets_be_vulnerable, jumped out at me on her feed and the words instantly formed in my mind.
As always, I encourage you to read Molly’s caption to this photo, because it tells her story in a beautiful way. Here’s my fictitious story.
Reflection
Looking at herself in the mirror, her naked body looked right back at her, exhaled and powerful all at once. This was her. This was all of her. No clothing to hide her curves or conceal her scars, this was her.
She looked down and saw the scar on her knee, reminding her not to let others push her over. She saw the stretch marks drawing up her thighs, reminding her to embrace the beauty of growth. She saw the tiger-striped scars on her arm, reminding her how far she’s come.
She saw the freckles on her shoulder, reminding her to be more careful in the sun.
Her hair was flecked with grey, whispering words of the wisdom that only come with age. Her belly was bulbous and happy, a sign of her rebellion. Her face was bare, lined and wet with tears, weathered but not broken.
Stretching out her fingers, they ached from writing so much. Shifting her weight from one foot to another, her knees groaned from moving so little. She looked in her eyes, and asked them – what next?
Her eyes looked back, with a glint and a smirk, and said “your body tells your story so far, but it is your mind that creates your future.”
And so, she wrapped herself in a dressing gown, took a seat on the sofa and began to create her future.
I love the way our body’s scars and marks tell stories. I guess that’s why I enjoy tattoos so much to, there’s something special about looking at them and remembering how I felt at the time of getting them and how much has changed since then.
We’re constantly changing and evolving, and while our bodies house this change, it’s our minds that do the work. What changes are you creating for yourself right now?
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