Spring Changes

BY EMMA STINSON

Trees are budding pinks and purples, people fill the quads in sun soaked bliss, and despite finals being less than a month away, the sweet spring breeze seems to blow away the stress. And yet as winter blooms into spring, I can’t help but feel a twinge of anxiety, something that tells me this change of seasons isn’t all that warm and refreshing. 

Maybe it’s the simple fact that things are changing, change is always difficult for me. Or maybe it’s that my easy go-to outfits of winter, the oversized sweaters and worn out leggings, are no longer appropriate. Or maybe it’s that in spring and all the hot months of summer, clothes become skimpier, bodies become objects of display, and lounging in next to nothing by a body of water becomes the norm. 

But maybe it’s for the best. Maybe my winter wardrobe is simply an excuse to cover myself up and hide from the beauty that my body naturally possesses. It only takes a few sweaty days of winter clothes in spring temperatures to convince myself it’s worth shedding the layers. 

And while sudden exposure of a body I too quickly shame is scary, the fear is so worth the freedom that comes from letting the sun shine on parts of my life long kept hidden. 

So as I come out of my winter shell, I remember how spring is filled with new beginnings. Flowers sprout out of the once dead ground and birds fly back, building nests for new life. While it can be easy to let spring be a season of body misery and shame, a time when body comparison is easier and “beach bodies” always feel out of reach, it’s also a chance to start fresh in a new wardrobe--a wardrobe of self-love, acceptance, and sun-soaked peace. After all, body image should never be dependent on how one measures up to the ideals of a new season. 

Your body is beautiful in every season, in every change, and in every outfit--no matter how much your unwanted body parts are shown. Love yourself this spring and summer and enjoy the body you have right now whether it’s on a beach, in a classroom, or across the globe because it’s you and you're worth it.