Bodies Never Lose Their Wisdom
Diet culture boggles my mind.
Over the months of her first year of life, I experienced some very negative comments and lies about my daughter's beautiful baby chub. She has a lovely, wise body, which stored away as much chub as it knew it needed to support her growth and development.
As a baby who was exclusively breastfed up to 6 months, and continued to be breastfed alongside solids beyond that point, I know my child's body has been given ample support to grow strong and healthy.
This isn't a criticism of people who feed their children differently, it's just a fact that you can trust your child is getting exactly the amount they need when they have been breastfed like mine - at least, that is what professionals have told me.
I find it very sad that I already find myself needing to defend a body's wisdom in a child who was not even a year old. We live in a culture fixated on controlling bodies in a way that is simply not healthy or good.
I know this is a complex and nuanced discussion; for now, I just feel very sad that people could be so critical of a picture of health. How could people criticize a wonderful baby who was just happily growing under the care of people who love her and do their best for her, without acquainting themselves with any of the facts - and without paying attention to the sweet and funny little character blossoming in front of them?
Perhaps we also need to consider how we look at and talk about our own body; bodies never lose their wisdom - people just lose their ability to listen; listening is a skill that can be learned again. Through babyhood, toddlerhood, childhood, adolescence, and all the stages of adulthood, our bodies have the ability to adapt and change to support us in the ebb and flow of life. And we are more than our bodies; we are made for so much more!
Consider a sunflower. Nobody would dare criticize a sunflower seed for its looks if they had in mind the glorious flower it becomes after you plant it in the earth. Scripture talks about our bodies in such a way; 1 Corinthians 15:37 and 1 Corinthians 15:42 say, “...what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel…So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable.” We cannot see it now, but there is a redemption for our bodies beyond this world, and our bodies are like mere seeds to what glorious blossoms they will be. The passing comments people make in this life have no real substance to them in the light of eternity and the hope Jesus has given us in His redemption. Who knows? Maybe the very things that are the struggle points for us with our bodies in this life will become the biggest reflectors of God’s glory one day.
- Jo Pippa von Bergen
Wife & Mama. Lover of Biblical Languages. World Traveler. Amateur Photographer and Artist. Outdoor Activity and Nature Enthusiast. Spoonerism and Silliness Appreciator. Dog Wrangler. Overcomer.
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