Love The Version of You That Exists Today Because You’ll Miss Her Later

This picture was taken in 1997. I remember the day perfectly. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon in the fall, Justin was four, and we were heading to the park. At the last minute, he picked up a worm and proudly held it up for the picture.

What I also remember is how I felt that day: Self-conscious, embarrassed by my heavy hair, convinced my face was too plain, my body too big, and my outfit—hand-me-downs from our babysitter—was all wrong.

But now, nearly 30 years later, I look at this photo and think how I’d kill for that hair and wrinkle-free skin and how the body that I was convinced was just awful, was actually just fine.

I wish I could go back and give today’s wisdom to the girl in the picture. I wish she could have spent that Sunday feeling beautiful, because she was.

Being a woman is thinking you’re ugly, then looking back and realizing: “Wait. I was kind of hot.” But of course, you didn’t feel hot at the time because you were too busy picking yourself apart.

It’s like missing your own peak season because you were too busy complaining about the weather.

Moral of the story? You might be in your glow-up right now and just don’t know it yet. 

So love the version of you that exists today.

You’ll miss her later.