Dear Kim Kardashian,
I hope this message finds you well. I read part of your article published in C Magazine, and I had to address it. For those of you who are not Kim Kardashian, here’s a snippet of the interview that I read via US Magazine:
Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about. After I had the baby, I was like, ‘These are the same people who made fun of me, and posted the stories that were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldn’t control.’
I don’t want to smile for them. I don’t want to be out…Even if I was more confident, I just didn’t feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo. It changed my mood; it changed who I was; it changed my personality a lot.
Not a big fan of tabloids, I usually glance at the magazine pictures and keep going. However, this article struck a chord with me, and I felt called to respond. Here is my response: Keep Smiling. Plain and simple.
Keep Smiling
I know from experience that people can be mean, and downright cruel when it comes to being ‘overweight’. I cannot imagine having to experience this in the public eye, under the scrutiny of millions of people. I read the comments people said about you, calling you a whale and making fun of your swollen ankles due to pregnancy.
Moreover, I felt sorry that you had to experience such meanness during a time meant to be joyous. I also identified with you.
No, my weight gain was not caused by pregnancy, but I know how it feels to be pointed at and teased. I know how that can affect your confidence. I remember not wanting to smile…if you look back at my high school yearbook, I am not smiling in any of my pictures. I am going to tell you something that a good friend once said to me: Don’t let them steal your joy! Don’t give them the power to take away your smile.
By not smiling, you are letting the ‘haters’ win. You are waving the ‘white flag’ and letting the people who taunted you, called you names, judged you and your family know that they succeeded. They do not deserve such power over your life!
Kim, although I address this message to you, I share it with women and men all over the world. I share this with those struggling with bullying, low self-esteem, low body image, and are left feeling inadequate in who they are and what they look like. I urge them to Keep Smiling! Don’t let your insecurities diminish your smile. Don’t let people (who know nothing about you or your struggles) steal your joy.
Life is too precious not to smile in every moment. Enjoy life, ignore the critics. Most importantly, embrace your body regardless of its size or shape.
Until Next Time,
o
