Let's Talk About Sex: What Salt-N-Pepa Can Teach Us About Family Togetherness
I don’t normally talk about things that make my cheeks go red.
And I certainly don’t normally write about those things here on the blog.
But sometimes I get a million messages from God, the angels, the Universe - all kinds of places - and I have to stop and take a minute to respond.
That’s exactly what happened this week - I received all kinds of messages pulling me to share an important message with families.
Here’s what happened.
First, I listened to a podcast from the sweet and talented Amy Porterfield.
In it, she interviewed her husband about their sex life and how her body image issues have kept her from believing him when he tells her how much he loves her and all of her features - except for the way she looks down on herself, which makes him feel like he's not showing her enough love.
Mind blown.
Because I have body image issues too - a lot of us moms do - but I had no idea it could be making my husband feel like he wasn’t doing a good job loving me.
Normally I don't listen to interviews or podcasts about the S-E-X word because it just makes my whole face turn red and I get all weird because it's such a private thing (and because our society has told us for years and years that it’s weird to talk about these things publicly). But this one was different. It made me rethink my own body image issues and sparked some really great conversations with my hubby.
And let's just face it - while sex is absolutely a private thing and should be treated with respect in who we talk to about it and how we talk about it in general, it is a part of family togetherness - and life - we can't ignore.
So, while I may be too bashful to talk about it willy nilly, I highly recommend giving Amy's podcast a listen. You can find it here.
And I recommend singing a little Salt-N-Pepa sometimes too if that helps you get un-weird about it because sex isn’t weird - it’s how babies are made.
Next, a friend texted me the link to a song she really likes.
My guess is she texted this link to a lot of her friends and maybe even used it with her elementary school students because that's just the kind of person she is.
I didn't listen right away, but when I did, I literally got goosebumps the first time the chorus hit my eardrums.
Just like that podcast, the song was talking about learning to love ourselves and how to take a compliment as well as we give one.
Mind blown again.
You can listen to the song here. It really is great. And it just so happens to reinforce the very concept I've been underlining and circling in a new personal growth book I started this week, too. That's exactly how I knew I couldn't ignore the pull I was feeling to share these things with you. (More on that later.)
So, with those two random things swooping into my week, I bet you can already tell what I'm going to say to you right now. But I'm going to say it anyway:
You are beautiful.
You are amazing.
You are so valuable.
To the world.
To your family.
To every single person you will ever meet.
Just the way you are right now.
Not the way you want to be one day.
Not the way you wish you were or the way you pretend to be on Instagram.
The way you really, truly are.
Not when you get your stuff together,
start making more money,
cook better meals,
have better hair or clothes or shoes,
or lose those extra 10 or 20 or 50 pounds.
Right now.
Today.
You are wonderful today.
And the more you accept your greatness and start accepting every compliment that comes your way, the more true, deep, honest, long-lasting family togetherness is going to be yours.
Every.
Single.
Day.
(I'm writing this just as much to myself as to you because it's way too easy to forget.)
It's way too easy to say, "Oh, you're just saying that," or "What are you buttering me up for?" than to honestly believe the people we love ACTUALLY love us back and want us to know how amazing they think we are.
But we have to do it.
Our life - the big, beautiful, truly amazing one we really want - depends on it.
So please, friend, pop in your earbuds today and:
And start believing just how wonderful you really are (Or, if you already do, share this with a friend or two who needs to know how wonderful they really are, too)
And, of course, if you're in the mood for a few more ideas to spark your family togetherness amazingness:
Read a few more togetherness tips about deep relationships here, or
I hope this togetherness tip made you smile.
I hope you'll be singing Salt-N-Pepa in your mind all day long.