“Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”

I have lived my whole life, not necessarily believing that a nude body was a bad thing, but definitely not comfortable exposing my own.  After a week on the beautiful beaches of Mexico with three women, one a nudist, I have found a new freedom.

My new friend on day one took off her bathing suit top and comfortably soaked up the sun.  Within an hour friend number two was topless.  You can’t not see their boobs, just like you can’t not see their hands, but it didn’t take long before conversations were eye to eye and the gawking passers by were ignored.

On day two I decided to do the same, once the decision was made there was never another thought about it.  I was swimming and soaking up the sun like I always do, but now I felt a new freedom.  The sun felt better and the water was incredible. I felt GREAT!  A month ago I would have laughed if anyone suggested I would be sitting topless on a beach. Now I feel constrained. I look at my three daughters and feel grateful that I can share my experience while they are young enough to learn to be comfortable with themselves.

This new liberation is not just the physical act of taking off a bathing suit top.  This was an act of self acceptance.  Finally at 47 years old, not to say that I wouldn’t still like to shed twenty pounds, I accepted my body and myself as I am.  I realized, that while I believe 100% that we are souls in a body, that unhappiness with my own temple is hurtful to my soul. We were born naked, God created us perfectly, and we do not need to hide.

Denying any part of yourself, hiding, worrying and comparing ourselves to others will  always diminish our light. The world today, for the most part, has set up societal rules prohibiting the exposure of the nude body, and opportunities like I had are few and far between. I don’t know when or where I will have this freedom again, but I do know that there are no coincidences, and the lesson I learned through my friend will be a blessing and lesson that no one can ever take from me.  I am home, I am clothed, and I am walking just a little bit taller.

Be Blessed!~Joy