If you have a body, you have a beach body. It doesn’t have to look a particular way because swimsuits are for everyone. That’s the point Jewish novelist and feminist Jennifer Weiner made in her recent Instagram post. In it, she does indeed display her “beach body.” Here is her post, with her inspiring, body-positive comment:
A photo posted by Jennifer Weiner (@jenniferweinerwrites) on
It’s so refreshing for a public figure—especially a mom—to not only show her real beach body to the masses but to celebrate it. With so many celebrities going into hiding after they become moms, Weiner’s candor is encouraging and, frankly, something we need to see more of in mainstream and social media. Consider this an invitation to reach into the back of your closet and grab that bathing suit. Put it on and enjoy the beach this summer, no matter how “imperfect” you think your body looks. And drop that negative perception, too, because your body is great. It brought a child into this world, after all!
Christine Stoddard is the author of Hispanic and Latino Heritage in Virginia (The History Press) and the founding editor of Quail Bell Magazine. Her art and writing have appeared in Cosmopolitan, Marie Claire, Bustle, The Brooklyn Quarterly, the New York Transit Museum, and beyond. She currently works as the weekend editor of Vivala. Learn more at WordsmithChristine.com.