Please log on to www.dalaimama.monique.blip.tv and give me a 5 rating. Winning this contest would change my life in ways you cannot possible imagine. It would enable me to move to a better, safer place that is not hostile towards homeschooling families. The contest has already started and ends on June 30, 2006. Please tell your friends and ask them to vote for me. I've posted the same picture of myself here that I included on the website.
This contest involves being confident despite being a large woman and inspiring other women. Here is what I wrote on my web page:
My friends would describe me as a true original. A mix of Janis Joplin, Ginger and Mary Ann, Carrie and Samantha, June Clever and Sally from 3rd Rock. Never a dull moment but like solitude as well sometimes. Always the first one my friends call when they want to do something new and unusual. I guess you could say "The Road Not Taken" has been a long and winding road thus far but a good one.
I used to be too skinny and felt like a little girl. Going braless then was an option. Motherhood changed all that and now I feel like a beautiful, voluptuous goddess! I feel like a natural woman. I've been all the sizes of the rainbow from 0 to my current size 18. I've never felt more comfortable in my own skin than I do right now. For me, the important thing is being healthy and loving yourself and you can do that at any size. You should never be ashamed or embarrassed about your size. I never miss going to the beach or on vacation because I'm self-conscious about my weight. Afterall, like my age, it's ONLY a number! It's like that song "Video" by India Arie, I've learned to love myself unconditionally because I am a Queen!
I'm a single mom in the south and all that it entails. I'm too busy sometimes but I find joy all around me. I no longer run away from anyone wielding a camera in my direction. I'm a shutterbug and my friends and family all suffer from flashburn. I would hate to look back twenty years from now and be totally absent from all our photoalbums and home movies because I didn't want my picture taken.
My only concern was that men would no longer find me attractive. God Bless the Chubby Chasers because I have more dates now than when I weighted 105! I've been told that when you feel good about yourself you exude confidence and sex appeal. Just remember Ladies that the average American Woman is a size 14. Marilyn Monroe and Jane Russell were size 14 Goddesses! The world would be a boring place if we were all stick figures. Being happy whether you're thick or thin is simply a matter of perception.
Becoming a larger woman made me less judgmental and an all around nicer person. I no longer believe happiness results from being a size 5. When I was a size 3 and 5, I had a boyfriend telling me how fat and disgusting I was! I had a complex about my weight as a result for years but I broke those chains to become the woman I am today. If I can do it anyone can! I still have my Calgon Moments but they are never caused by worrying about my weight.
Size 120x90: