Woman's first bikini photo becomes emblem of body positivity

Lesley Miller was tired of feeling ashamed of her body. 

So when the 21-year-old shared a photo of herself in her first bikini with the popular Facebook page Love What Matters, the image -- and the story she submitted alongside it -- resonated with thousands of people.

Miller's submission details her past struggles with body acceptance. 

"I've spent the past 18 years of my life waiting," she writes. "I kept my body covered up and hidden away. I told myself that one day I would finally let myself be seen; I would finally do all of the things I dreamed of when I was enough. Thin enough, happy enough, confident enough. When my body looked the way that it was 'supposed' to."

She goes on to describe childhood taunts from classmates that lead to diets and weight loss procedures. She also details her history with self-harm at age 15, and later at 20, which stemmed from an obsession with losing weight.

"And then I got tired of waiting," she writes. "So now I'm twenty one and I bought my first bikini. EVER. You can see it all. Weird bulges and rolls of fat. Hanging excess skin. Stretch marks, cellulite, surgical and self harm scars. Awkward protrusion on my abdomen from my lap band."

Miller's story more than 1.6k shares, 32k likes and more than 2.8k comments from supporters. 

"I want to learn to love all of myself, not just the parts I've been told are 'acceptable,'" she concludes. "Because the secret is, I was always enough. And you are too."

[H/T: The Independent]

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