Why This Mom’s Body-Positive Bathing Suit Photo Is Going Viral

During a family vacation, mother-of-two Kirsten Bosly forgot to pack her usual beachwear: A pair of trusty cover-up board shorts. "I’d wear board shorts over my bathing suit because I hated my belly and thighs," she told Us Weekly. "Then I’d pick a spot that wasn’t too close to anyone else as I don’t like people looking at me. People have said nasty things to me in the past." But this time, she wrote in a now-viral Facebook post, instead of feeling bad about showing her body, Bosly embraced it — and learned to "let go of the hatred and resentment" she had for her body. "Today marks a new beginning for me," she wrote in a caption for a photo of herself and her children. "For most of my life I have hated my body...wanted so very much for it to change; for it to be smaller, thinner...less 'fat.'" Bosly also wrote that she had avoided being in photos for most of her life because she disliked how she looked in them, but her love for her children has inspired her to let go of her reservations. "I recently read a meme that said something along the lines of 'be in pictures with your kids because when you're gone, the pictures will be all they have left' and it struck a nerve," she explained. "The truth is, I'm tired of being ashamed of my body; it's done nothing but support me for 41 years." So Bosly took a photo with her children in her bikini, with "no cover up, no board shorts, no 'modesty towel,' no filters," so that her children can "remember us enjoying this day together, cellulite and all." The best part is, she wrote, "I'm not ashamed...I look at this photo and all I can see is how happy we are and that's awesome. I finally feel free and it feels fucking awesome!" Since posting the photo on January 8, her post has gone viral and Bosly has received an overwhelming amount of support and praise. "I’ve received messages from moms who’ve lost children and have hardly any photos with them because of their own self-esteem issues," Bosly told Us Weekly. “I have been called brave, which is a gorgeous compliment, but I find it sad that a plus-size woman wearing a one-piece at the beach is considered an act of bravery. It didn’t feel brave. It just felt freeing!” Bosly's positive attitude is genuinely inspiring, and her message is reminder that there is no ideal "beach body." If you have a body and you're at the beach, you already have a beach body. Read Bosly's entire post here.