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What do you like about the way you look? I posed that question last week, and dozens of readers emailed us photos. Here are 12 women, beautiful inside and out (including Aleah, above, who has the same green eyes as her grandmother)…
“When I was a teenager, I was very aware of my ‘thunder thighs.’ I didn’t have a thigh gap like my friends, and when I walked, I got chub chafe. But now? These ham hocks are a point of pride. They’re STRONG. My warrior two pose is legit. And I think back fondly on giving birth when each of those bad boys was in its own stirrup, providing the ‘power lifter’ strength I needed to push a baby out!” — Ivy
“I’m a children’s book author and one of my characters has ‘a slice of a dimple.’ I was wishing I had one when my sister-in-law said, ‘But you do!’ Looking in the mirror, I was delighted to discover my dimple, even though it took me 30 years.” — Reem
“After getting diagnosed with skin cancer, I find myself hugging my children harder and more often. Much to everyone’s delight, I said yes the other day when they asked me to go on carnival rides. (I’ll hold the memory of their laughing faces and windblown hair close to my heart forever.) What I love about the way I look is that you can see the relief in my eyes knowing that I’ve been given a second chance to live a boring, ordinary life. I hope this feeling of gratitude becomes an extension of who I’m becoming — just like my floppy, oversized hats.” — Lana
“I have Native American heritage, and I love my hooded eyes. When I smile, my friend calls them ’emoji eyes’ because I look like a caricature of a happy person. All sisters with hooded eyes know: translucent powder on your eyelids if you don’t want your eyeliner to transfer!” — Cassie
“I went to a fundamentalist religious college where I didn’t fit the standards of femininity. Women were expected to be quiet, and we were told that our hair was ‘our glory.’ I tried to fit in by covering up my boisterous laugh and growing my hair long. It never worked; the dean pulled me aside — twice! — to tell me how unfeminine I looked and acted. Thank goodness for my friend Gabi who convinced me to be myself, chop my hair, and make it an asset. Later, during my teaching career, my principal called me Ms. Frizzle — for my hair and the zest I brought to the classroom.” — Betsy
“I love my bushy eyebrows. It took me forever to grow them after plucking every last one in grade eight.” — Laura
“When you asked this question, I was startled that I had a hard time picking just one thing. As someone who once kept a mental list of everything I’d like to change, I was now walking around, verklempt, appreciating lovely things about myself. So, I’d say my elegant cheekbones. Earlier this year, when I was having chemo, they were in hiding. When they re-emerged, it felt like a harbinger of a return to self. They announced my homecoming.” — Aya
“I am so my mom, but my lips are all my dad. They have the magic to heal booboos. To love a spouse. To show joy. And at some point in the exhausted haze of new motherhood, I discovered that putting lipstick on made me feel like I could get 👏 things 👏 done.” — Amy
“I have a pronounced snaggle tooth. My tongue pokes out when I grin, so I always smile with my mouth closed. But the first thing my husband Simon noticed when our photographer sent our wedding album was how happy I was and how my snaggle tooth was fully on show. We were so excited that I couldn’t hold it in! The love in my husband’s voice as he noticed that was touching. It’s a reminder to love the version of me that others love.” — Aoife
“For years, I thought I had unruly hair. I used chemicals, an iron and everything possible to make it straight. Plus, the people around me (and myself) had the mentality of curly hair being unkempt. Now, in my 40s, I’ve finally learned to embrace my curls in all their glory.” — Rajini
“I have come to love the beauty moles all over my face and body. I remember being teased as a kid — a girl even told me that they meant ‘an angel pooped on my face’! Now, I can’t imagine myself without them.”” — Audrey
Thank you so much for sharing!
P.S. More reader comments, and 12 readers share their cozy corners.
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