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By now, it should seem obvious that bodies come in all shapes and sizes, and our worth is attached to so much more than the pounds we carry on our frames.
Yet, some people still need a reminder that all bodies are beautiful, and no one should comment on them.
In 2017, a 17-year-old named Rebekah Loudermilk was excited to attend the Wichita Riverfest festival in Kansas with a friend. The pair were minding their own business and having a good time when Loudermilk overheard another girl make a pointed comment her way.
“Fat girls shouldn't be wearing crop [tops],” Loudermilk recalled in an interview with Yahoo. She gave the girl a look to show that she had heard the comment, but at the time, she decided to let it ride. That didn’t mean she wasn’t upset that someone tried to bring her down — for no reason.
“My feelings were that I know I’m OK with my body,” Loudermilk continued. “If someone I don’t know has a problem with it, that is their issue, not mine.”
While Loudermilk wasn’t personally offended, she did mull over the encounter. Later, when she got home, she decided to use the moment as a teachable one. So she did what anyone with something to say would do, and she hopped on social media.
“To the girl @ river fest making fun of me for wearing a crop top,” she tweeted in a post that has since been made private. “It’s 90 degrees and you aren’t hurting my confidence. Nice try.”
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For good measure, she added two photos of herself in the crop top. Immediately people responded with positive comments, celebrating her for taking the random girl to task and helping others feel empowered by their own bodies.
“It makes me happy to see people share it — not because it is me — but it shares a positive image,” Loudermilk continued to Yahoo. “I have received some negative comments because of it, but I just shrug those off and let the love outweigh the hate.”
Loudermilk wants every person to understand that self-love is essential, and while there will always be people ready to tear others down, focusing on the positive and the people who build you up in life is what matters most.
“It is OK to love yourself no matter your size and to know it shouldn’t affect what you wear or how confident you are,” Loudermilk told the publication. “Just because you are plus-size does not mean you will not be loved by others. I just wanted to share my confidence and self-love with others so that they may begin to express the same for themselves.”
The savvy teen also has a message to anyone who is currently struggling with body positivity, body dysmorphia, or negative comments.
“You are beautiful the way you are, and you should strut yourself with confidence,” she wrapped. “Wear what you want to wear. If you are comfortable, screw what others say!”
Many of us grew up with the message that our worth is attached to our weight, but we’ve hopefully learned otherwise over the past few years thanks to people like Loudermilk, who aren’t afraid to stand up and take up the space they deserve.
Still, if you’ve been struggling with self-confidence, hopefully, this story inspires you to start recognizing yourself for the beautiful soul you are.
RELATED: 13-Year-Old Gets Body Shamed By Nurse For Gaining Weight, Mom Has Best Response
After all, there are so many other positive qualities we can focus on when it comes to measuring our worth.How good of a friend or family member you are, for example. Or whether you do kind acts in your community, try to give back, or whether you just try to be a good person.
This story is also a friendly reminder to all of us that those things matter in life, not how we look. And the sooner we can start focusing on the actual value that people bring into our lives, the sooner we can all start feeling better about ourselves from the inside out.
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