Today I looked at myself through the rose tinted glasses of societal expectations. 

It was a picture of me and my friends, minutes before going on stage for a dance competition. 

All I could focus on was how skinny they looked compared to me.

I was standing on the left end, blue costume, shoulders hunched, and core relaxed. 

All I can focus on is my body.

My body that allowed me to dance that day, my body that hugged all my friends in congratulations, my body.

My body that had horrible posture, followed by acne scars and thick thighs. 

My belly rolling in between my crop top and bottoms. 

My arms wrapped around my thin friends.

All I can observe is everything that society has told me to hate about myself. 

I can't point out one thing that I like about myself. 

I can't see that I am pretty even with all of my gorgeous friends standing beside me. 

I can't appreciate all that my body has done for me. 

What happened to me?

I used to be a little girl that danced in the kitchen in a diaper eating ice cream cones with chocolate all over my chin.

I used to wear whatever I felt comfortable in because I spent hours digging in the dirt and playing on the swing, rather than hours spent trying to impress everybody. 

I used to look in the mirror and never once question my beauty. 

I loved who I was and everything that I was going to become.

I laid in bed at night and would dream about my future, not thinking I would grow up to hate myself and my body.

Not knowing that the light that shone in my eyes as a little girl would be dark and dull. 

Not aware that I would no longer recognize who I was.

It's time to take of the glasses and instead look at myself through the eyes of my younger self. 

She would of loved who I have become and what I do.

She would adore that I dance. 

She would smile knowing I want to become a teacher. 

So little me is handing me the glasses of learning how to love who I am and never forget where I came from.