Author Olivia Dade writes some of my absolute favorite romance novels featuring fat protagonists. They’re fun and healing to read and just warm and loving. (Also, her most recent, Ship Wrecked, is a delight for everybody who watched Avengers: Endgame and thought: “Wow, Fat Thor is a hottie.”) And today, she’s written a lovely piece for us about how motherhood helped transform the way she thought about her body. When she adopted her child, she was determined not to set an example of negative self-talk. It turns out that was very, very good for her, as well: “I’ve screwed up as a parent in hundreds of ways. Thousands. But I got that much right, thank goodness. My child has never heard me criticize my appearance, and so far, at least, they seem entirely comfortable with their own. Funny thing, though. I was kind about my body for their sake, not mine. But if you spend enough time looking at your own body and talking about its idiosyncrasies as fun features, rather than flaws — somehow, it sinks in. It sank in.” It’s a beautiful piece, and you should absolutely read it. Kelly Faircloth, Executive Editor |
