This morning I woke up and realized it was Memorial Day weekend. Somehow it completely snuck up on me this year. I don’t know why I always imagine I will feel more prepared for summer than I actually do. The funny thing is, even the weather seemed confused. Lots of cold rain and heavy sweatshirts. On the east coast where we live, it felt more like fall/winter rather than the unofficial start of summer.
Still, there is always a certain feeling that arrives with Memorial Day, no matter what the temperature says. It carries two completely different energies for me.
One part feels joyful with the opening of the pool, the smell of food on the grill, and my white jeans making their yearly appearance again. Summer always feels like fun in a bottle with longer days and warm nights as I take my evening walks.
But then there is the other side of it.
The side where social media suddenly becomes flooded with “summer body” messaging. Where cleanses, detoxes, shrinking ourselves, and getting “back on track” are the messages I am inundated with. The noise becomes deafening this time of year.
And if I am being honest with myself, sometimes I still get pulled into it too.
Just the other day I stood in front of my mirror trying on summer clothes from last year. Immediately my mind started narrating all the ways my body looked different. I didn’t love the way my shorts looked and my bathing suit fit differently. My first instinct was criticism. But then I caught myself. Intuitive eating has slowly changed something inside me. It has taught me to pause before spiraling into shame. It has taught me that my body is not a project that constantly needs fixing. And maybe most importantly, it has taught me that a summer body is simply a body.That’s all it has to be. Just my body living my life.
I realized I do not want to spend another summer obsessing over shrinking myself. I want to be present for it instead. I want shrimp tacos with extra fixings, watermelon and fresh summer corn on the cob. I do not want to be mentally calculating every bite I take.
Life moves quickly. Seasons change. Bodies change. We change too.
And maybe this year, instead of preparing our bodies for summer, maybe we practice speaking to ourselves more gently. Maybe we stop assigning morality to food. Because at the end of the day, no one remembers the size of your shorts at the picnic. They remember your laughter. Your warmth. Your presence.
And if this feels difficult sometimes, you are not alone. So many of us are still trying to untangle years of shame and pressure around food and our bodies. But there is another way a kinder way. And if you are trying to find it, I am here to help.