A mom is begging people not to delete photos of themselves — and now, her powerful message is going viral.
Lottie Drynan, founder of You’ve Gut This and The Tummy Diaries, gained millions of views on social media when she opened up about the special memories she nearly lost by hating how she looked in photos.
Now, just in time for Body Acceptance Month, her video is encouraging others to cherish every photo of themselves — even if they’re not totally in love with how they look.
Lottie’s video opens with the text, “Special memories I nearly lost forever just because of the way I thought about my body.”
She then displays a slideshow of special photos from her life. “A lovely day at the beach which had nothing to do with how my legs looked… The first photo taken of me just after I found out I was pregnant… A walk that helped stop a series of panic attacks… My first, magical time growing a human.”
One of the photos was one taken by her mom during a difficult time. When Lottie received the photo via text, she replied to her mother, “Genuinely the worst photo I have ever seen of myself. Please delete it. Please… Sorry, that made me cry. I look so ugly and horrible.”
In an Instagram caption, Lottie wrote, “Sometimes it can be easy to push out and just click delete on the negative feelings but if we don’t challenge them and deal with the root of why they’re there then they’ll usually find a way of creeping back.
“I don’t believe we have to love every photo of ourselves but on the ones we find truly upsetting I do think that pushing ourselves out of our comfort zone and working out why can have a really positive impact.
“I also find it pretty heartbreaking that we can be so quick to delete a special memory just because of that inner critic who’s been fed toxic BS all it’s life tells us that we are not worthy of holding thy moment close.
“Like that photo that my mum took of a special moment during the first lockdown when she dropped off a bear she had made for me – we couldn’t even hug so the bear was supposed to be to cuddle instead. It was such a hard time that now I look back on I cherish having a photo of, but when mum posted it on Facebook I was so upset with how I looked that I cried and made her delete it.
“Constantly placing all of our energy into how our bodies look when in fact there are so many more important things going on around us is exhausting and such a robbery of our time. You don’t need to delete that photo, you don’t need to change your body, you are worthy of enjoying those moments exactly as you are.”
‘Our bodies are so much more than a number on a tag or machine’
Lottie’s message is clearly resonating with people all across social media.
“I wish I was like this during my most recent pregnancy,” one parent wrote. “I haven’t got a single photo of my growing bump and changing body all because I had the perception I was fat and disgusting. I now look back with heartbreak and regret and realize my body was beautiful. I am devastated I haven’t got a single photo of me growing my son.”
Another viewer shared, “My grandma died a few weeks ago. We struggled to find any pictures of her because she avoided having them taken. There are literally decades without a single photo of her. I will let anyone take and keep photos now. One day my daughter and future grandkids will be grateful.”
“There are so few photos of me with my older two children when they were little because I hated how I looked,” wrote another parent. “It’s so easy to just focus on the negative. I now keep a photo of myself with my third baby at a few weeks old up to remind me of what’s important. When my kids ask why that’s up, I let them know it’s because in that photo, I thought I was fat and I hated myself. Now, all I see is a new mum who had no business hating on her body that much. Our bodies are so much more than a number on a tag or machine.”
Hopefully, Lottie’s powerful message will inspire people everywhere to say “Cheese!” and resist the urge to delete their next selfie.
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