Soft is Not a Flaw, It's a Flex

I’ve been seeing the word “soft” a lot lately. Clearly I’m in my “soft girl era” and the algorithms are picking up on it. Soft mornings. Soft skin. Soft life.

It’s all over my feed. And I’ll be honest — at first, it rubbed me the wrong way.

For a long time, “soft” wasn’t something I wanted to be. It felt like weakness. Like failure. Like flesh. Like not quite enough, physically, emotionally, and mentally.

As someone who’s always been a go-getter, an, “I’ll just do it myself” kind of girl, softness has always felt like something to avoid. Or fix.

But here’s the thing: Creeping on up on 49 years. Living in recovery. Losing my mom. Being in remission from PTSD. Raising tweens and teens. And living with fibromyalgia - they’ve all taught me that softness isn’t failure. It’s actually strength!

I know context is key. And it’s important to consider the context in which the word “soft” is being used. All over my Instagram it appears to be a real vibe, a genuine compliment - something to embrace. And it has me contemplating what it means to be soft.

So I’m making a quiet pivot. A soft pivot if you will. Not to a trend. Not to an aesthetic. But to a new way of being in my body and thinking about the word ‘soft’ and how I want to use it and view it.

Fibro has taught me that rest isn’t indulgent. It’s essential. Motherhood, grief, and aging have all taught me that being soft is sometimes the bravest thing I can do.

And that being soft, really means I’m being gentle with myself. Behaving as someone that doesn’t hustle to prove my worth. One that knows when to pause. Someone who doesn’t shame herself for needing gentleness.

I don’t know if I’ll ever feel fully comfortable calling myself “soft.” But I do know I’m done equating softness with weakness.

And that? That feels like strength!

#SoooHuman #TheSoftPivot #BodyImageReframe #FibroLife #RestAsResistance #softgirlera