It seems like every time I turn around, I hear something about airbrushed photos in magazines.

We talk about how the ideal of feminine beauty is an unrealistic image, processed and filtered in a lab and then presented to all of us as “normal” via the glossy pages we see in the check out line. Well, unless you shop at Trader Joe’s: then you’re looking at chocolates and trail mixes and all sorts of jerky. 🙂

Cindy Crawford recently posed for a photo in which her stretch marks were NOT airbrushed out. She looks gorgeous.

Of course, for me, I don’t see bodies I recognize unless I look a little further.

We started with the tattoo that saved my life:

The Tattoo That Saved My Life

We went to the post-mastectomy “proportional” look:

But to really see the full picture (errrrr, just not my picture, I’m not that brave), you have to visit The SCAR Project. This is not for the faint of heart, so that’s the small warning you get.

http://www.thescarproject.org/gallery/

These beautiful women’s bodies show me a journey I recognize, a common ground we share. Even with the differences, it’s a sisterhood.

Be brave, my sisters. Blessings to you all.

“Once I overcame breast cancer, I wasn’t afraid of anything anymore.” ~ Melissa Etheridge