“Who told you it is not okay to grow
as you did as a child, like a tree
taller and taller?
You convinced yourself to stop,
to stay thin
like a small child
even when your stomach grumbles
like wind through a mountain,
shrinking and straining and starving
for someone else’s idea of perfect?
But every tree gains leaves
and rings, symbolizing age,
and the growth
of a great being.
Who told you to feel heavy
when your breasts accept gravity
and when your skin makes marks on itself
to adjust to you?
Who told you it was a sin
to be big,
and why did we give all this
unearned power to them?
You are a tree,
your leaves and rings
are magnificent
no matter what anyone else says.”
~ Colleen Michele
(artwork by Natasha Szymkiewicz, produced for The Center for Eating Disorders at Sheppard Pratt ‘Love Your Tree’ Campaign, 2013)
Ellie Thompson's World 
Wow. Thats beautiful Ellie. It captures it so vividly. Thanks for sharing. XXX
I hope it helps someone. I have just published the following post to this which is more personal to me xxx