Dear Body

Last week I was listening to Nikki Grahame's book 'dying to be thin', it was very good and gave a good insight of what people, especially children go through when battling eating disorders. After I finished listening I went onto her site and click on a link to Body Gossip. Body Gossip encourages people to write about their body, most were about insecurities so I got writing. It only took 5 minutes to write this letter and much to my surprise Body Gossip are going to have it performed by an actor!


Dear Body, I look in the mirror and feel let down by you. Surely people in their 20's shouldn't have bingo wings or so many wobbly bits? I'm too young for boobs to head south and too old to have a zit of such epic proportions but you seem to disagree and bless me with these qualities.

Despite this I think my body looks ok and after all beauty is only skin deep. The wobbly bits aren't my issue with you, why did you have to let me down so much by turning against me? I'm sorry I spent time with someone with Glandular Fever when I was 11 but I think it's more than time you got over this, let me be me, not someone with severe M.E.

Being confined to bed for 12 years is no fun, nor is the level of pain you successfully manage to spread everywhere, although I must compliment you on your wide range of Neurological symptoms, it's an impressive array and could fill a text book on what can go wrong but please, do me a favour and go be in a text book and leave me the hell alone.

I appreciate that you, my body, does cooperate with me more than you used to, thank you for letting me sit up after 5 years of stuck laying flat, will you consider walking again soon?

I'm looking in the mirror and aside pale skin and the dark eyes looking back at me, I really can't see you at all although I can't see the bubbly happy person I am either. You do a great job of hiding beneath the skin, it's no wonder so many people don't believe how ill you make both me and my friends with your presence, you even took my good friends life.

Dear Body, please release me from the prison that is you, let me get on with achieving my hopes and dreams, let me walk and dance, oh and if that's not too much to ask, please take away the epic zit.

Yours faithfully,

Vikki