Dear Arms,

I’ve concealed you for a long time. Since I was in high school I’ve shrouded you in shrugs and cardigans and short-sleeve cardis even on the hottest summer days. I thought you deserved it. You were floppy, arms! Even during the great WW/Curves Experiment of 2004, you just sat there. As I shrunk down to a nimble size 18, you didn’t budge! Stubborn you. 

I used to admire you from the elbow down. I thought to myself, “My arms from the elbow down are lovely!” My shoulders too, I admired my shoulders. So really, arms, it’s just the upper bit of you that’s gotten my goat for all these years. Pale and floppy and sensitive like a fish belly. Prone to burning in the sun. Lightly lined with marks that mean you grew too fast! Remarkable arms, you are overachievers.

Today, arms, I got home from a business trip. My apartment and the outside world felt like a poorly ventilated bathroom after a few long hot showers. And arms? I couldn’t bear to hide you under anything. I threw on a sundress, that cute one with the ruffle, and headed outside. Arms adrift. Arms free! 

All this time, arms, all this time I really believed that I wouldn’t feel ALL that much cooler if I went without a cardi. Arms, I was so wrong. I felt amazing! I felt easy breasy peasy! I felt like I should skip all the way to the dry cleaner to pick up my altered sun dress (cut from a maxi into a mini, just like that). My altered strapless sundress. 

When I caught myself in a the store windows, I saw a fat girl with lush arms in a colorful short sundress. She looked fierce! She didn’t need to hide her arms under a layer of acrylic just so the other citizens wouldn’t have to see them. This girl—this girl was a bad ass! A genuine bad ass. 

So, arms, it’s a good day for us. I’m going to stop hiding your light under a bushel (or a hoodie). I’m going to let you see the sunshine and see the world and see everything that you’ve been missing since I was 14 and put you into hiding. Arms, we’re doing to do great things! We’re going to live! 

Thanks for your patience, arms. You knew I’d eventually come around, right?

xoxoxo 

Girthful Girl