"Bare It All"

As a part time photographer, I see women with make up applied, every hair in it's place, clothes ironed and coordinated and ready to bring their best smile forward. They ask me to get their "good side", "don't make me look fat", "smooth out my wrinkles" and "do something with the bags under my eyes". I'm asked to do LOTS of things to make the photographs of women perfect, and am guilty of editing my own to perfection as well.

Sessions like this make me think about  my Nana, SHE was a woman of TRUE beauty. She was a kind, genuine woman, who wasn't afraid to tell you what she thought about you and follow it up with a hug afterward, sounds familiar huh?  I can't remember what she looked like with or without make up, I can't remember what she smelled like, I don't remember a bad hair day or bags or wrinkles, I remember grace. I remember her soft touch, her soothing voice, her unconditional love and kindness to people she would meet. I can't remember her having "roots" or a "bad side", "love handles" or "muffin top", I remember her telling me she loved me " a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck" and meaning every word. Those are the things I want to be remembered for, not for a great head of hair or flawless skin.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think women feel better when they look nice and there is NOTHING wrong with dressing up, and feeling good, I just think the emphasis on appearance is blown out of proportion. These days our young ladies are so bombarded with the medias "idea" of beauty that we are forgetting the real meaning of being beautiful. We can't expect men to respect us for what's inside if we don't spend as much time on it as we do our outside.  I want my daughter to know that real beauty is inside. Make up can't hide someone who is ugly on the inside and true beauty shines through your soul regardless of your looks.

Those of you who REALLY know me, know that I can never just take things as "face value" and that I am a perpetual "over thinker" and allow my mind to carry things off to places that dream up these ideas. And so, "Bare It All" was born.  I asked my dear friends of Facebook to pose "naked"...well naked faced anyway. I asked each lady to pose for a photo without any make up and to complete the sentence. "I am beautiful because...."

I am beautiful because I know that being tenderhearted shows my strength to love unconditionally.

I am beautiful because I know my smile lines are laughter scars that mean I have lived a life of laughter. 

I am beautiful because God made me to be beautiful.

I am beautiful because my husband reminds me each morning, my daughters laughter reminds me as she connects my freckles and God reminds me in Proverbs 31.

I am beautiful because God made me who I am. 

I am beautiful because I know my flaws. 

I am beautiful because of my God given strength, forgiving nature and ability to love and be true to myself despite my mistakes.

I am beautiful because I am alive, I am a fighter and I am strong. 

I am beautiful because Jesus Christ lives in my heart. 

I am beautiful because I've learned how to have compassion and love despite my heartache.

I am beautiful because God MADE me. 

I am beautiful because I am not afraid to show my strength. 

I am beautiful because I am Bekah, not Barbie.

I am beautiful because I love openly and forgive easily. 

I am beautiful because I always find something to smile about. 

I am beautiful because I can forgive people who greatly disappoint me. 

I am beautiful because my personality is contagious.

I am beautiful because my age shows I have earned my place on this earth and I've learned that true beauty doesn't fade with age.

I am beautiful because I know that true beauty doesn't come from hair products or make up but from the reflection of God in my heart.

Final Thought: 

As usual, after spending time with a bunch of awesome ladies, my cup has ran over with emotion.  I have laughed, cried, laughed and cried some more. I have ladies from age 4 to age 67 "Baring It All" to show other women true beauty is all on the inside! I hope everyone reading this really gets this message. If you have a teenage daughter, I urge you to send them this link. We are women, we are strong, we are beautiful and together we can rebuild the meaning of true beauty.

Pork Fritter to Fruit Salad in 3 Easy Steps

Those of you who know me personally, know that I have struggled with weight my entire adult life. I've been chunky, tubby, lean, muscular, fat, frumpy and average. I have tried every diet out there to lose weight. I didn't have Daddy issues or a bad thyroid or asthma, I had lazy ass. Yes, a case of serious lazy ass. I wanted a magic pill to make me thin, tone and tan...ya...that didn't happen.

About a year and a half ago I decided I needed to make a change. After reading Eat, Pray, Love and watching Dr. Oz on Oprah (and the heart palpitations that landed me at a cardiology appointment, but the other crap sounds better) I decided that I if I wanted to live a long, healthy, active life I would need to make a change. So, I did.

First thing, stop smoking...well, I didn't want to gain a ton of weight so scratch that.

First thing, lose weight...well, I couldn't do a lot of exercise because of the weight and the smoking so that isn't going to work.

First thing, ANYTHING....portion control, maybe just eat less? 

So I started with eating small amounts all the time. Constant snacking. That seemed to control my hunger enough I didn't want to put salt on my stapler during the day and devour it in silent shame. I kept that up for several weeks, just trying to account for everything I put in my mouth. "You are what you eat" is the saying, and I was tired of being a deep fried, southern style piece of pork. This might just work...


Several weeks went by and a few pounds dropped off, so I started walking some and lifting some light weights, all of which I despise but participated in non the less. More weight came off, a pound here and a pound there. Fall came and I had lost about 30 lbs, which sounds like a lot but trust me I was quite the lard ass and it was barely noticed by my peers.

I went to the gyno earlier that year for my pap and had decided while I was there I would ask for Chantix, a stop smoking pill, just to try it out. Six month later I decide to get it filled. The courage to get rid of a 17 year crutch was a little overwhelming. I filled it, and took it as directed, no strange dreams, no homicidal thoughts (or more than normal I should say), no suicidal ideations, mainly just extreme nausea if I tried to smoke. Chantix is a 6 month program that I, being an over achiever, completed in 3 months. October 17, 2009 I smoked my last cigarette.

I get asked a lot if I miss smoking. I'd love to say no, but truthfully, I think about how nice a cigarette would taste sometimes. Then, I remember the first time after I quit smoking that I could smell my hair, the smell of my hair was intoxicating. The smell of honeysuckle and my deodorant, my Cinnamon candle, pizza, lots of things I'd not truly smelt in almost 17 years. That in itself has been worth quitting.


Here I am almost 2 years later and I have lost 65 pounds, stopped smoking, stopped biting my nails (just to see if I could), stopped drinking sodas twice (that one I can't kick) eat healthy, and exercise regularly. It's sounds like a big accomplishment but the truth is I had to work hard to reverse what I alone had done to my body. "I" had started smoking at age 13, "I" had gained weight to the point it was unhealthy for my 29 year old heart, "I" had stopped working out or caring for my body. What seems like an accomplishment to most, seems like a correction to the damage I had done to this wonderful body I was given. To me, I was righting my wrong.


Final Thought:
People say "it's what is on the inside that counts" and that's true in lots of ways. Inside, is also your heart, lungs, kidneys, brain and all the other stuff smashed in there to make you, "you".  I try not to congratulate myself too much, or put myself down either. I strive to keep a good balance of healthy living and honest indulgence when the need hits me. I'm in no way perfect and I am a constant work in progress. Every person is different. Every body is different. Everyones body is a result of their decisions. You can be a deep fried pork fritter or a fruit salad, the choice is yours. Some days I'm a chicken nugget and some days I'm a piece of chocolate but EVERYday, I'm taking responsibility and NOT making excuses.