7 years ago, I birthed my baby bird at 5 in the morning, and understandably slept most of the next day.

That evening, as the cool evening descended over Tokyo, I took my tiny bundle of stardust breathlessly in my arms and stepped outside for the first time as a mother.

“This is the sky, baby,” I whispered.

Two 20-something Japanese women approached me, cooing at the newborn in my arms.

Then one of them looked at my belly– my majestic, glorious, heroic, womb. 

“But there’s one still in there?  So is it twins?” she asked. 

She is lucky that she escaped with her life.

Whether you’ve had a baby or not, you know that the realities of our bodies, for the most part, do not conform to tv or magazines.  Enormous perky breasts do not usually come paired with a wasp waist.  Cheekbones do not get higher over the years.  And women do not pop magically back after having a baby.

So I was grateful to the Duchess of York, Princess Catherine, for stepping out into the world after giving birth to one of the most scrutinized babies in the world.

She did not wear a corset.  (That was you, Sarah Jessica Parker.)  She did not hide everything from ribs down. (That was you, Angelina Jolie.)  She just walked out into the world proud, beautiful, and looking like a woman who has just given birth looks: with a nice healthy post-baby belly.

PRINCESS KATE, THANK YOU.

We’re so used to seeing unrealistic images of a woman’s body that this tiny little thing filled me with joy.

We need more people to tell the truth about things.  Not just how we look after birth, but about the real shit we’re going through.

How scary it can be to be an entrepreneur.
How exhausting to be a single parent.
How hard to be in a good marriage.
How difficult to get those first clients.
How many rejections came before the accolades.
How destroyed we can feel when someone is hateful.

When we’re real about the tough stuff, the joy blooms more brightly. 

I dare you to show up real in the world today in some small way that feels a little scary, but a little thrilling.  Maybe that means going to yoga with unshaved legs.  Maybe it means giving a compliment you might have ordinarily swallowed.  Maybe it means saying no instead of yes.

Or maybe it means taking ridiculous bikini photos of yourself, Oregon style.

Do it because it will lift your spirits, make you grin, and help you feel stronger and more rooted in the earth.  But also do it because when you do, you give someone else permission to be real too.

And when we’re real, we’re beautiful.