For the Love of "B"

She’s always been my friend. We’ll call her “B”. She is proof that I have never gone without a daily meal or two. She has been a safe space for weary heads to rest, some kings, some flings.  B gave home to seeds that strived to live, only yielding one. And when the same seed who threatened her fertile seasons found the lap she created, she nestled her warmly. She has held the weight of my body, my exhaustion, effortlessly, and never spoken of just how heavy it has been. Poor “B”! She has been stuffed into the tightest contraptions to smooth and shrink her, but sis was never having it. She still showed up for me, making her presence known. Harnessed, but somehow still free. Disguised, but still big, and we won’t forget soft. 

“B” has survived our love and hate relationship, proven by the fact that she is still here. The difference is that I choose to love her now.  I am not fighting her these days. I choose to appreciate every aforementioned experience of “B” and now take better care of her. Since we are in our era of softness, she prefers robes and garments that let her lounge and be comfortable (mumus are our friends). Now I focus on refining her a bit. The girth of her past is not necessary for her future.

We are embracing softness, embracing newness, and personal necessities that we have ignored for ourselves. So, refining her is our newfound love for her, in action. “B” will still be a lap for the deserving weary, the source of core strength to stand and withstand, wrapped in her beloved kaftans over contraptions when necessary. She has always been my friend, but I haven’t always been hers. I haven’t always seen her for who she is, but I do now. I’m grateful for how she has shown up for me, always, whether I wanted her to or not. She’s a real one! 

I love you, “B”, girl! 

Belly, for the rest of you. 

By L. Danielle Gibson