Showing up - as ME

I’ve got a HUGE big toe. It’s big if you look at it on its own. But it looks EVEN bigger when next to my other really short and stumpy toes.

My nose isn’t straight. It’s got a bump in it. It’s a genetic thing. From my beloved Dad.

I’ve got big-boned, solid cankles. Actually, make that legs. And now that I’m in my 40s, they’re adorned with varicose veins.

My love affair with hot water bottles has given me a ‘Toasted Skin Syndrome’ where the skin on my thighs has a red-pigmented honeycomb appearance. It fades over summer with reduced exposure to a concentrated heat source.

My body is long in relation to the length of my legs. I always get wedgies wearing one-piece bathers and some jumpsuits.

And then there’s hair.

The hairs that creep out like spiders’ legs from under my underwear, the wiry whiskers that occasionally erupt from my chin and pop out from my moles; and the silver streaks that are framing my face.

I've had people comment on them, judge them, and tell me to do something about them.

Why would I?

This is me.

I'm so grateful for my body. It's phenomenal and allows me to lead an extraordinary life.

The self-critical, socialised and commercially driven judgement we learn, coupled with societal, business, and governmental desire to control the female body across our lifespan pisses me off.

It constains us, restricts our self-expression and holds us ALL back.

It drives our fear of standing out and being seen. We learn that only those who have earned approval, look a certain way, and fit in ‘deserve’ to be visible.

I'm taking steps to re-claim and rewrite that story.

I'm coming out from behind ‘Discover Your Wild’, and sharing what I do as ME.

I've updated my website to now be pennyvandersluys.com. (For now, discoveryourwild.com.au will redirect to pennyvandersluys.com)

It feels freeing.

Take a look and let me know if you'd like to come and play with me!

I'm excited to share two new Swap party dates, invite you to a new ‘Be the Fire’ Camping Adventure overnight ‘retreat’, and let you know ‘Sextember’ is back with a 3-day Surprise challenge from the 1st-3rd. Details can be found on the events pages.