Taking our bodies back!

Enough with the body-bashing. Now it's time for gratitude.

Article: Lili Radloff

You remember how last week, we decided to stop treating our bodies with such distaste? Meagan started by writing a beautiful letter to her body and we asked you to do the same. Well, your letters (and even poems!) made us laugh, made us nod our heads in sheepish agreement and made us cry.

So much so that we decided we’re ALL going to do it too! And get our bloggers to do it too. Because face it, girls, we’ve all allowed ourselves to get bullied into fearing and loathing our poor bodies for too long. Well, not anymore. And we have the pics to prove it. So check out the gallery of Chick24 (Women24, Food24 and Parent24) in our lovely Women24 t-shirts!

Speaking of t-shirts, hundreds of you have written to us, telling us why you deserve a Women24 t-shirt. Thank you for your letters. We wish we could give a T to each and every one of you. Sadly we can’t, but we’ve ordered a new batch, so keep on writing and keep on making history!

This week I also had the great honour to interview Tracy Todd a woman whose story has touched all of us deeply and whose positive attitude has humbled me into true appreciation for my body. So, phew, here goes...

Dear body,

Even though the sun is poison to you, I love your freckles. And I (finally) love the fact that you’re so startlingly orange. Thank you for being able to heal, for being able to make love, and for being able to dance (however badly). Thank you body, for giving me pins and needles, sneezes, ticklish places, funny bones and all the things that make living in you silly and interesting. And thanks for the important stuff, too.

I hope one day you’ll be able to build a baby for us.

I love you dude.

Read more of these – go on, it’s extremely refreshing – there's Sam’s, Adele’s, Kele’s, Tammy’s, Cath’s and many more. It’s time to take control. And to take beauty back. So send in pics of yourself or women you admire. And all of you who have Women24 t-shirts? Send pics of you wearing them so we can add them to our gallery.

Follow me on Twitter @liliradloff

Lili I dedicate this song to you and your beautiful body but more importantly because your courageous spirit shines through. Spirit is the Journey -- Johnny Clegg Ploughed the moon reached an island Balanced on the edge of the sky But something always stayed the same Deep down inside No matter where I've been the places don't count Summer in a mountain town No matter where I've been the places don't count And I feel let down 'Cause nobody told me Spirit is the journey Body is the bus I am the driver From dust to dust Spirit is a story Body is a book I am the writer Together we flow We hold on, and when the story ends We hold on, until it begins again We hold on, we hold on... I never knew I had one Till I saw yours shine Spilling from your laughter Sparkling in your eyes Sharing my confusion, sharing my surprise At finding part of me in you, alive 'Cause nobody told me Spirit is the journey Body is the bus I am the driver From dust to dust Trying to be near you Searching for a way Listening to your life song Before it fades away We hold on, and when the story ends We hold on, we hold on. Spirit is the journey Body is the bus I am the driver from dust to dust Now I'm falling, falling away I hear you calling, calling my name Spirit move on, move on Pass my eyes on, on to the next one I will be long gone, long gone Across the distance, this divide I will be with you forever Till you reach the other side So hold on, sing this life song Sing "hold on, hold on, hold on Hold on!"