Redefining Beauty for Myself
In elementary school, my brother and I were too young to be left home alone, so my mother took us with her to her weekly Weight Watchers meetings. I spent my Sundays sitting cross-legged in a carpeted room with large windows and posters on the wall encouraging weight loss and healthier eating. Despite not understanding […]
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How I Rejected What Others Think Girls Should Be
I grew up in the Dominican Republic. When I was in middle school, a group of girls wouldn’t play with me because they said I was ugly. “You look different and like a monkey,” one said. Most of the girls in my class were light-skinned with long straight hair, while my skin is dark and […]
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Overcoming Bulimia
Names have been changed. All my life, I was a big girl. Food was my best friend when I was young. I wanted to eat everything. I was attracted to the smell when my mom or older sister Gina would cook. I loved tacos, burgers and fries, chicken nuggets, and sub sandwiches, but a home-cooked […]
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Smut Page Survivor
Names have been changed. One day I was in school, on my way from math class to lunch, when I saw a group of students hovering quietly over something. Curious, I made my way to the front of the circle so that I could see what was fascinating everybody. As I got closer I realized […]
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