Photo: me feeling cute at the beach in 1983

Photo: me feeling cute at the beach in 1983

On a phone call with girlfriends last night we were sharing our desires for the future. One woman stated that it is her intention to be “healthy and cute” ~ which received peals of laughter and mutual understanding from the rest of us.

What a refreshing way to view wellness! I am always promoting health with moms, participants in womens circles, extended family, and others. Sometimes it feels like such a serious affair. But I also know that I cannot improve my health through studious and rigorous attention alone. If I want to really thrive, I’ve got to be having fun! If I want to have fun, I personally… want to feel CUTE.

And I like the word ‘cute’ for more than that. It doesn’t feel to me to be the same as fashionable, or dressed-up, necessarily. Cute, to me, is reflection of how I feel in my body. I can feel cute in an old pair of jeans and tank top if the right music is playing and I’m bopping along. I can feel cute in an outdated dress from the 2005 Target collection if I’m enjoying a fun conversation with someone. And I suspect if I pay more attention, more of the time, to feeling cute… the healthy part will follow.