My body is not your community service project, nor is it your soulless fetish object. I do not need to justify my body to you or anyone. My body does not make me a joke, nor does it make me insensitive to your hurtful remarks. It is not an excuse for you to treat me like a second-class citizen. My body is none of your business.

My body is not your battleground. It is not a cautionary tale. My body is not your canvas, nor your ad space. It is not here to make you feel better or worse about yourself. My body is not up for debate. It exists for me and me alone, to be used however I see fit.

In the quiet moments, I remind myself that my body is my sanctuary. It is the vessel of my spirit, the keeper of my dreams, and the testament to my resilience. Each scar, each curve, each line tells a story of survival, of strength, of beauty that is uniquely mine. My body is a celebration of life, a canvas painted with the hues of my experiences, joys, and sorrows.

I walk through this world with my head held high, knowing that my worth is not defined by your gaze or your judgment. My body is a testament to my journey, a reflection of my soul’s depth and my heart’s capacity to love and endure. It is not for you to critique or to claim. It is mine, and in its sacredness, I find my power.

So, I stand firm in my truth: My body is not your battleground. It is not a cautionary tale. It is my home, my strength, my story. And it is beautiful, just as it is. 🙏🏾❤️

©️ Beatriz Esmer