parts of me are perfect

in the shower today i placed my hands up against the mint green tile on either side of the window. the hot water beat down my back and soaked through my hair. the steam rose in billows as cold air seeped in from under the curtain. i watched what i could see of the backyard fade through the panes as they collected moisture. i don't have what you would call a healthy relationship with my body. there are parts of it i like. parts of it i hide. and parts of it that do an awful lot for little to no appreciation. but today as my eyes wandered back from the window towards ritual i caught a glimpse of the inside of my upper left arm. and the beauty of it stopped me. the skin there is unmarked and without blemish. droplets of water collected on every inch of my arm and my pale skin almost shimmered. i have moments like this occasionally. when i can see the veins in the top of my right foot that meet at a small freckle just below my smallest toe. or my ears when i tuck my now much longer hair behind them. small parts of me that still seem so new. small parts of me that i'm finally allowing myself to call beautiful. i pray i can continue to make peace with my body and her parts. or at least learn to more often acknowledge beauty in myself when i see it.