“Be good to your body and it will repay your journey.”

By Samantha McKenzie

Our bodies are beautiful soul carriers that bring life and love into this world. Believe that.

Our hips, our lips, and our hands have raised us well. And with them, we have raised children and families and communities.

These hips have given birth to children. They have worked in concert to carry precious life and expanded when it was time to make room for what was to come. They don’t just look good in an outfit, they actually serve a higher purpose. They rock babies to sleep and provide the lap for those in need. They are comforting.

These lips have told countless stories. They have passed on lessons learned and spread the wisdom of the ancestors. These lips have echoed warnings when needed and uplifted souls with just a mention of a kind word. They have kissed bruises and foreheads and wished little angels a pleasant goodnight.  They have spoken aloud the sentiment of the Creator, echoed the intent of the prophets and worked tirelessly to negotiate for what’s right. They have even held themselves tight when saying nothing was the best thing to do.

And let’s not forget about these hands. They have toiled. They have carried. They have provided. These hands have worked hard to put food on the table, buy school clothes and wedding dresses. They’ve cooked, cleaned, written, typed, braided, lifted, pushed, pulled. They’ve labored for the love of others. But mostly they’ve been right there, holding firmly to the hands of others, wiping away tears and clapping for joy. They have healed.

No matter how much this world wants us to believe that our bodies are for something else…reject that notion. Our bodies are carriers of our beautiful souls. They bring new life into a languishing world. They belong to us and we should use them well.