Back in October of 2004, I received an interesting e-mail in my inbox. As I read on, I found a smile on my face. It got bigger and bigger with each passing line. It was an e-mail that has stuck with me through good times and bad, through hard times and easy livin’, and most importantly, through thick and thin.
I would like to share the contents of that e-mail with you now, friends (the potential 6 of you that aren’t my close friends IRL who I e-mailed this to last night, or my Facebook friends who I tagged in a note containing this information early this morning). And so, without further ado:
I hereby declare October 5, 2009, to be the 5th annual celebration of…
BELLY APPRECIATION DAY!
It’s October, most of you are feeling gloomy, it’s probably raining (well it is here) and for some reason your belly probably looks more unsightly today than ever. Do not feel bad. Take a moment, rub your belly and be thankful that you have one. There are people in this world who don’t. I know, it’s a tragedy, but it is true!
The Steps to Accepting Your Belly:
1. Admit that you have a belly (and if you don’t have one, call me and borrow some of mine! Just pretending you have one will work too).
2. Name your belly (Gertrude, Janine, Maynard, and Timmy the Tummy are already taken).
3. Give your belly a rub.
4. Talk to your belly (this might seem strange, but people talk to their pets, plants and computers. Why not talk to your belly?)
5. Love the belly.
6. Allow your belly to hang out (at least in the privacy of your own home). It needs to see the sunlight from time to time.
7. Rub and talk to your belly everyday.
If you love your belly, soon it will love you back. Don’t listen to the beauty magazines! BELLIES ARE BEAUTIFUL! It’s beautiful whether it is a big belly or a little belly. Most people are stuck with their belly forever, you might as well love it! Please pass the message along to any and everyone you know so that they, too, can learn to love their own bellies, whatever size or shape.
An addendum that I think is important: my dad and my stepmum sent me some wonderful responses this morning to my Belly Day e-mail that I wanted to share with you all. Names have been changed to protect identities (mainly mine). My Dad wrote:
I told them to Fuck off!!
Anybody who fits into my clothes isn’t starving!!”
I love you all (and your bellies!) and I wish you the bestest Belly Day ever!
Much love,
Ally
“Come on everybody,
Smile on your belly,
Gotta love every belly right now!”
I NAMED MINE AGGIE!!