Wouldn’t you find it depressing if someone publicly makes fun of your body, that too on a day when you have decided to relax, unwind yourself from a full time job of motherhood and enjoy? Unfortunately, the same thing happened to Tanis Jex-Blake, but the way she gave a flak to her detractors, deserves a round of applause.

So, the story goes something like, Tanis Jex-Blake, the mother of 5 children, was visiting an Alberta, Canada, beach. She decided to sit at the beach in a swimsuit, which she had not done since many years. In a little while, she heard a few teenagers mocking her body and calling her disgusting. She was, of-course, upset and furious, but then she decided to face it. She wrote an open letter to those teenagers on facebook along with a photo of herself in bikini which has become a source of inspiration and courage to withstand body shaming to many women across internet!

Here is the letter:

“This is an open letter to the 2 guys and 1 girl who decided to skip work today in Sherwood Park where they were building a house , but instead decided to come to Alberta Beach to relax in the sun, enjoy the water and some beers.I’m sorry if my first attempt at sun tanning in a bikini in public in 13 years “grossed you out”. I’m sorry that my stomach isn’t flat and tight. I’m sorry that my belly is covered in stretch marks.

I’m NOT sorry that my body has housed, grown, protected, birthed and nurtured FIVE fabulous, healthy, intelligent and wonderful human beings. I’m sorry if my 33 year old, 125 lb body offended you so much that you felt that pointing, laughing, and pretending to kick me. But I’ll have you know that as I looked at your ‘perfect’ young bodies, I could only think to myself “what great and amazing feat has YOUR body done?”. I’ll also have you know that I held my head high, unflinching as you mocked me, pretending that what you said and did had no effect on me; but I cried in the car on the drive home. Thanks for ruining my day. It’s people like you who make this world an ugly hateful place.

I can’t help but feel sorry for the women who will one day bear your children and become “gross” in your eyes as their bodies change during the miraculous process of pregnancy. I can only hope that one day you’ll realize that my battle scars are something to be proud of, not ashamed of.”

The letter says it all! Her pride and acceptance for her imperfect, but beautiful in its own right, body, her pride for being a mother, and above all,
her pride for being a woman is worth a bow! Hats off to Tanis Jex-Blake! You are an inspiration! Bravo Tanis!

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