Gratitude [a love letter] to my body

My dear body,

I appreciate you
I really do
And I promise to show you more respect, compassion and love
You are the only way in which I can experience this reality of life
You of all things are deserving of my love, and not my criticism
And I promise to treat you better, as I navigate my busy life
You are the one thing in my life that has so much joy and abundance, and energy
You are incredible and you show so much respect every single second of the day
With love and care and gratitude

From your biggest fan,

Me.

- Cynthia Louise

Last week I received a love letter. My dearest friend and the most nurturing (literally), badass and glorious Chef Cynthia Louise who I proudly get to call one of my persons, an ally and best friend for 8 years now, send me this video. A dedication, an honouring of her, the female body by loving and adorning all its bits and pieces. 

My friendship with Cynthia is a friendship that fell coincidentally (is there really such thing anyway?) into my life during a time when I was battling a challenging stretch of life. 

What connected us most over these years was that through both our businesses we have made it our mission to nourish this world in one way or another. 

During my life, my relationship with food hasn’t been the easiest. I was one of the many young women dealing with an eating disorder. 

Cynthia, as a renown chef, has been a lifesaver, a wonderful teacher and healer when it comes to my relationship with food. Her love for cooking is contagious. It was through her love for food and her recipes that I started to love my body again. Being around Cynthia and seeing the way she treats food brought a new understanding into my life.

There are manifold ways for the human to receive and require nourishment. 

My own take on nourishment is my art of creating jewellery. While Cynthia nourishes bodies through her recipes, I nourish souls through art in the form of jewellery.  

I work with a wonderful team of women who bless each of our creations with love and prayers. Each piece is sustainably made and gives back to the local community. Every item also carries messages and intentions, reminding us to love ourselves and the ones around us. The jewellery pieces are wearable expressions of self-love and nourishment for the soul. And if you have ever met Cynthia, you might have noticed she is covered in my creations. She has told me many times that her body can literally feel the words—You are loved—when she puts on each piece, which is the very reason I do what I do.

Thank you for sharing this precious honouring of yourself with us, Cynthia. You are indeed so loved.