The Way I Am

They tell me I should strive for a gap between my legs,
and nip and tuck and stuff myself till I am the right shape.

If my hair is brown, then "dye it blond!" cause then I'd have more fun,
Cause what fun can you have with color of the dust where you came from?

Botox can fill the lines and a knife puts things back in place,
but all this would erase the history of the expressions on my face.

My stretch marks may be scars to some, but they are my victory stamp
of children born and muscles gained sprinting at field hockey camp.

And what about that double chin that shows up in photos?
I'll hold on to the extra fat for a rainy day, I suppose.

My arms may be too short and not thin enough for some.
They carry a twenty pound baby until he learns to walk and run.

I'm lucky that my teeth were straight and no braces did I need,
but they never will be white enough to be smiling on TV.

My average five foot four frame is to short to model clothes,
but my frame is always the right size when my husband pulls me in real close.

Thank goodness I am well-endowed cause a B cup is too small,
cause the fact that any size can feed a baby is not good enough for all.

They built a bed where I can lie to change the color of my skin,
since pale is beauty of the past, and fair is out and tan is in.

You'll never see my hands model nail polish or rings,
the veins pop out because you see, I cook too many things.

And some day you might find me with an arthritic pinky just like my mom,
but I'll show it off with pride and joy to the grandkids that come along.

Pictures burn, computers crash, and in a second memories fade,
but my body is my daily witness of the life that I have made.

It may have scars to mark the past, and wrinkles mark the days,
but I'll keep the imperfections passed on from the genes from which I was made.

I am a Crandall and a Nielson, a combination of the two,
the evolution of these genes is bigger than me and you.

So don't tell me that I need to change, I'm great the way I am,
God knew what he was doing when he created the evolution of man.