Show those legs and feet, baby! Twirl! Laugh! Feel just as beautiful as God created you to be. On Sunday, July 8th I was invited to the Masks & Mimosas Health & Wellness Brunch. I have never been to a brunch before. 

However, I do love brunch foods and occasionally a mimosa! For real, I haven't had an acholic beverage in 3 years. My mimosa was well deserved.





For the brunch, I decided to pull out my navy blue and floral maxi dress. It has a slit that shows my legs and feet with boldness. It is also the same dress I wore last year for Mother's Day. Last year, was the first time ever in my life that I made my secondary lymphedema condition known. 

It was a confidence that washed over me when I put on that maxi dress that helped me feel confident. I even paired my dress with a pair of knock-off Birkenstock too. They are one of the only pair of sandals that have great support.  I will invest in a quality pair. I deserve to. 

At 26 years old I have done years of concealing my feet. I'm talking 9 years of self-esteem issues. 9 years of learning how to love me! 




This is the second year of rocking my lymphedema with confidence. I still get the hard glares and stares at my feet whenever I wear them out. I refuse to allow the looks that strangers give me take away from how I feel about myself. There is someone, somewhere that needs to see me showing my lymphedema. There is someone who needs to know more about my story and experiences with my condition. 

At the health and wellness brunch, I was inspired to keep sharing my story, continue to brand myself, and to even be more in tune with my spirit. While I was there I was on the verge of tears. I thought about how much I have been down and upset. Just Friday, I was searching for therapists and life coaches in my area.  

Why one may ask?

I felt overwhelmed and out of touch with calling.

There was a rush of anxiety that had overtaken my spirit. I went from journaling to crying, and then to talking to God. Being a stay at home mom can get lonely, isolating, and depressing. It's difficult when you physically are friendless as a stay at home mom. I have found many ways to cope.

I knew that attending the health and wellness brunch was going to uplift me. I deserved the time away from my home, toddler, and excuses. I was not going to make up an excuse to keep me in the house and away from an experience that I prayed for. 

I prayed weeks ago for just a few hours away from home to enjoy and gather myself. I did not know when God was going to bless me with an experience to be refreshed, but he came through! 

Before you talk yourself out of doing something to better yourself, take the opportunity to reflect. Reflect on how your current situation is. Think about where you desire to be in life. It could be as simple as walking into a book store on a late Friday afternoon than going to a bar for drinks. 

There's someone whose masking something with smiles, excuses, or an addiction. We all cope with life and the cards we are dealt with differently. I am not one to judge or to have an opinion on anyone's lifestyle. That is not my ministry.




All I know is that I am walking according to my purpose in life. No one will stand in my way of growth. Being a black woman with secondary lymphedema has helped me accept and appreciate my essence. 

Today I want to encourage you to take on your life with boldness. Do not shy away from stepping out of your comfort zone. Amaze yourself and feel great about doing it! Live life without apology!




Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section below. I would love to talk to you.
Special thanks to The Butter Bar for having me! I had an amazing time. 

Check out their skincare goodies here: https://www.mybutterbar.com/

Click here to join my email list! I promise you will get the latest and never spam.

If you enjoyed this blog post then you may want to read more about my lymphedema journey here: http://www.shesfoundstrength.com/search/label/lymphedema

Discover your inner strength with
 shesfoundstrength.com


SHARE 3 comments

Add your comment

  1. Beautiful post, thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for reading! You are appreciated.

      Delete
  2. Great story. I did this same thing about 26 years ago. Life is too short to hide my feet and ankles.

    ReplyDelete

© She's Found Strength · THEME BY WATDESIGNEXPRESS