Relearning to love yourself

There are moments when someone snaps a photo, and you brace yourself — already preparing to pick it apart. Especially one in a bathing suit! You expect to cringe at the angle, the lighting, the way your smile might feel too forced or your posture not quite right. But then… every now and then, there’s a photo that stops you right in your tracks. This picture did that for me. It was taken somewhat candidly, and after seeing it for the first time, I did stop. I looked again, and for the first time in a really long time I loved what I saw.

Not because it’s “perfect,” but because it feels like me.

When I first looked at it, I didn’t rush to critique. I paused. I softened. I saw myself — not through a harsh or critical lens, but with kindness. I saw beauty I usually miss. The kind of beauty that comes from within… from growth, from grace, from all the quiet healing I’ve been doing behind the scenes.

It wasn’t about makeup or clothes or lighting. It was something in my eyes. Something about the peace in my posture. Something about the way I was just being — not performing, not trying, just… present.

And maybe that’s what beauty really is: being present with yourself. Being able to look at an image and say, “I know her. I love her. I’m proud of her.”

I don’t always feel this way about myself. I still have days where insecurity gets loud, and self-doubt sneaks in. But this photo — this one little moment captured — gave me a glimpse of myself that felt aligned with who I’m becoming.

And I’m learning to hold onto that.

To let it remind me that I am allowed to feel beautiful. That I don’t need to shrink, second-guess, or apologize for how I show up. That I can take up space, smile softly, and be seen — and that it can be holy.

So, here’s to the photos that help us see ourselves clearly. And to the quiet, surprising joy of realizing that maybe… we’ve been beautiful all along.