Truly Loving Me...

For centuries we had been taught that the proclamation of love of self was egotistical and taboo. Today however, we find ourselves in a place where we are told that it’s okay to be a little selfish for self, and to shout it from mountain tops.

My take on it? Everything in moderation.

That being said, I really do believe that we cannot love ourselves enough.

One of the things that I have encountered with fellow full figured women is that we put off loving ourselves until we get to ‘that point’ or ‘that size’. The message that needs to be heard is that we must love ourselves in our current skins … love yourself for the beautiful, vital, intelligent, sensual and sexy woman that you are. There is really no need to wait to love you! It’s YOU after all. If we don’t love ourselves, how can we expect others to love us? The only entity that loves us unconditionally is God, and we are supposed to be perfect in His eyes, and we really are not – not by a long shot. So if He loves us the way we are, why then can’t we just follow His lead?

Love yourself enough to get over the hurdles that you face, particularly those that have to do with self image. Every imperfection is precious; every pound worth loving enough to be released (I know that sounds funny but bear with me).

I always recall the words of a particular boyfriend who, bless his heart, was trying to make me feel better about being a big girl, when I was particularly down. He said “You’re not fat … there’s just more of you to love.” At the time I giggled through my tears and kissed him my thanks. I have been grateful through the years for those words.

How many of us really look at ourselves in the mirror? Most of us are experts at looking only at what is and when necessary. We skip over the arms, and bellies, and thighs … it’s too painful to watch for many of us. What we NEED to do is take a good, long look at the goddesses that we are and look at the thighs and bellies and full boobs and appreciate our sized sexiness, because we ARE sexy!

Then and only then can we see where the changes that we sometimes crave can be made. And please, don’t aspire to be skinny; aspire to be HEALTHY.

I am 55lbs away from my goal weight and I know that with hard work, God’s grace and - Lord help me (:D) - Lee, I will get there! And it’s all about being healthy, because I know I will never be skinny … nor do I want to be.

I love my boobs and hips and butt; I just know that the extra weight isn’t ideal for me, however ‘comfortable’ it may seem to be. So basically, I love me enough to get up and get moving on my journey…

Thanks my take,
The Changeling.

A Review of At Last... - Through the Eyes of a Friend & Her Daughter.

Hi there,

The following is an email that I received this morning from my friend Dani. I have to say that it was indeed heartwarming and as such made me smile. It’s nice to know that people are paying attention to the things that you’re doing…

Hi Donna,

OK, this is gonna get your underpants all knotted up now!!!!!

I AM JUST NOW READING… CONTINUOUSLY FROM COVER TO COVER – NOT START – STOP… AT LAST!!!!!!!

I must say that I can’t stop!!! Might I add it’s nice to be able to read
something with life like situations and characters that my 12 year old and I can sit and discuss and not be bored and I don’t have to be afraid that there might be something in there that I might not want her to learn just yet.

As you know she is beyond her years so she is not interested in the
Twilight Saga. She thinks it’s for boring little white girls with nothing
else to do but believe in Vampires. She also thinks that books and movies like those open doors for spiritual warfare so she’s not missing anything.

Anyways… The entire book is easy to relate to. The characters are real and the situations life-like and current.

I have to make a recommendation to you as a friend though. Explore doing an adaptation for screen/stage.

There is great potential between the covers of At Last. I think that the options are limitless. I don’t know exactly what the ramifications of such a project would be but I am telling you that now in the Caribbean we are holding our own in the film industry and now is a good time for you to get your piece of it.

We have the film company here and I’m sure you can get assistance and guidance from them.

Look it up Donna…possibilities exist we just need to uncover them.
Jah-mai said you should do it too. She said you could be the local Tyler Perry lol!!!!!

GO FOR IT GIRLIE!!!!!

BTW… if you’re not interested…I want to play Greer (teehee).
OOOOOOHHHHHH……..and that guy from Soul Food (the series) who is married to the light skinned sister from the show and in reality he is part German (chocolate) (I think she means Boris Kudjoe here folks :) )…he could be my Tre’ yummmmmyyyyyy. :)

Best Regards

Danielle Nieves
Marketing Assistant
CCN TV-6
Express House
35 Independence Square
Port-of-Spain

Strut it Girl ... You Know How to Use it!!!

Somebody needs to explain to me what all the noise is regarding the beautifully body painted skin of La Toya Woods, our representative to the Miss Universe 2010 contest.

Pardon me but I find it a tad difficult if not down right impossible to take all of this noise and hoorah seriously, particularly from a country that has two nationally sanctioned days of ‘Bare Naked Ladies’ – well almost – on display on an annual basis!

This tin whistle noise about Ms Woods’ supposed nakedness goes beyond me. When I first heard the furor, I was led to believe that our queen took it upon herself to get up close and personal with a paint artist and a photographer in order to ‘make a point’. After taking the time to do my own research, I have learnt that the photograph was SANCTIONED by Universe International, and in fact formed a part of La Toya’s Universe portfolio of OFFICIAL photos … as did the photographs of ALL OF THE CONTESTANTS … AS THE PHOTOGRAPHS WERE ORDERED UP BY THE FRANCHISE HOLDERS – and I mean the INTERNATIONAL FRANCHISE HOLDER HIMSELF!

Heads up peeps! She didn’t have a choice, and seriously, even if she did have a choice, bravo for her, because she knew how to use the assets that were given to her at birth.

The photo is tastefully done … the woman is wearing pasties … and her skin tone just screams for art!

To all of the supposed Trini purists who are gasping and clutching their chests and up in arms against it … SHUT UP! You are the same ones who walk through Port of Spain on Carnival Monday and Tuesday with your cameras and video cams, all in the name of ‘recording the spectacle for posterity’, and then on Ash Wednesday you email all of those pics to your horny-ass buddies … trust me, I know what I speak of. You’re the same bunch of ingrates – and I speak here of the men – who yell at your daughters for their teeny weeny costumes, but lust after their girlfriends who are wearing the SAME costume! Not nice…

Get a grip people and give the girl your support – she needs it. Be proud of the fact that there’s a Trinidadian woman out there who makes body paint look good – and I don’t mean the minuscule muscle woman who does it every Carnival Tuesday in her husband’s band for camera time and effect – I mean the one who is waving our flag high in Las Vegas, and trying to reclaim our pageant glory.

As a size-sexy woman, I WISH I had the guts to do it, but uhm … one step at a time okay???!

For Dan ...

A star of friendship
That glittered just out
Of my periphery
But not for long
Boldly you strode
Into my line of fire
And you gave just as
Good as you got
Matching me word for word
Joke for joke
Put down for put down

A wicked little sprite
With shining eyes
And a bag of naughty pixie dust
That’s what you are
You slipped in thru my laughter
And left tiny, muddy footprints
On my heart…

And now … just when
I’ve grown accustomed to your presence
You’re going to disappear from me
Taking your laughter with you
Leaving me bereft
Of your antics
And longing for sparkling
Pixie dust and white toothed smiles
Often imagined but not seen

I will miss you
My muffin man
I will miss you
My mischievous Prince
Though it lasted
But a Cosmic hour
I will forever cherish
The budding of our
Friendship flower
And anticipate the day
When we truly meet
Face to face
And heart to heart

Be well, be happy
Be free, be loved

Farewell …