Day 2 (music of choice: Clutch)

Day 2: Something I love about myself

Shit, this one's hard too. And not in a conceited, "precious little bitch" (all-time new favorite Gordon Ramsay quote) way, either. Believe me, I'm not flipping my hair and saying "like, omigod, there's just like so much to like about me." There are a few fundamental things I do love about myself. I have a job interview tomorrow, and I don't want to be up super late writing a novel like I was last night. So that being said, here goes.

I love the fact that I've let tragedy and joy shape me as a person without any one particular experience being that defining facet of who I am. Like my facebook, Twitter, and Google profiles state, "I'm a mother, daughter, lover, friend, and ally." I'm a liberal, because I believe in things like gay marriage, my own reproductive rights, that it isn't necessary and in many cases even undesirable to marry the father (or mother) of your children. The only thing I fake about myself is my confident and cocky attitude as it regards to me alone. The rest of it - that's me. I'm not afraid to speak my mind. I'll listen to your arguments as long as you'll listen to mine, as long as you're not trying to shove your beliefs down my throat. And as long as you don't try to condemn people to hell - who the fuck do you think you are? You aren't any kind of god. You tell me someone's going to hell for anything love-related, be it homosexuality, or "living in sin," or being born out of wedlock, and I'm walking away.

I love the way that I overcame many of my body esteem issues after having Matthew. I quit hating everything about me physically after the ordeal my body went through gestating and delivering him. I quit hating my stocky body because if I'd been bone thin he would have snapped me in half. I quit hating my dark hair and eyes after I saw how beautiful they were on my son.

I love that I can put my iPhone's mp3 player on random and it will cycle from Pink to Eminem to Clutch to the Dissociatives to the Dr. Horrible soundtrack to Dashboard Confessional to the Misfits. I'll listen to any music except new country and classical. I love that I'm a reader - I have my dad to thank for that, for having me reading by the age of 2 1/2, for using the newspaper rather than Dr. Seuss books.

I love that I have so much love in my life, that despite the heartbreaks I've suffered, that I'm still capable of giving and receiving love and loyalty.

I love that I'm creative, intelligent, and strong.

I think that's about it.