Leg Size + On Sweden + Leaving Social Media
"Mama your legs are so biiiiiig..."
Says my five year old daughter, giggling and grabbing my thighs from behind. She's right; they're bigger than hers. The first time she said it, I was caught a bit off guard. Did she really just say that?
Yet as my quick-witted voice of self criticism evaporated, something calm and clear emerged. Goodness do I wish I had this sense of self respect and clarity 20 years ago. Read more.
Imagine a world where women and girls accept, respect and celebrate our bodies.
My favorite place to find ideas and books that motivate confidence in girls is called A Mighty Girl. They say 80% of 10 year old girls are "afraid of being fat." Oh how this punch-cracks my heart. Here's some Mighty Girl advice for parents of girls.
My very favorite parenting resource online is Aha! Parenting. Here's their excellent list of 15 Ways to Keep Your Child from Developing an Eating Disorder. Raising girls means raising the next generation of women. It's big, important work.
What about Sweden?
Now that I've been here 8.5 months I'm churning up some ideas for writing about Sweden, to share with you. In a nut-shell? This place is far more humane than where I'm from, and no place is perfect. I'll share both the sweet stuff and some not so pleasant things.
For now, please enjoy my recent conversation with one of the most delightful people I've met here, Daniel Högberg, in an interview On Sweden.
What would like be life without social media?
Bit of a strange question to ask in 2018, when humans spend so many hours with our little computer-phone devices in hand. It's kind of like a divorce, and I decided to dive in. As of March 13th, I am no longer on social media personally as an individual, or for Leaning into Light or anything else.
Will it last a year? I've taken two months off every year for the last two years. Now I'm feeling like a year would be good. I don't know how long it'll last, but I do know that I am committed to taking a break after nine years of avid social media engagement. Here's what I wrote about my decision.
More Love in Writing
Being off social media means re-routing the ways I share Love with people who aren't nearby. One of the re-routes is that I'll be sending these messages more often, likely twice a month. There are jewels in these for everybody, and I know you'll find those best suited for you, for now. Thanks for your company! And if you're inclined, please forward this to someone you love.
Happy almost-Spring!
Jessica Rios
Lifelong Writer + Mother + Founder, Leaning into Light