Big girls, you are beautiful

As cliché as the title may sound, you may even find yourself chuckling because it may remind you of the song written by UK recording artist, Mika. Today I want to share my experiences growing up as a “big girl” in a Filipino home.

Growing up with four brothers and an older sister, all of whom were visibly thinner than I was as a child, it never really crossed my mind at that time that I was different from them. We all ate the same food, played sports together and all excelled in school. With the influences of a predominantly male household, you can say I grew up like “one of the guys” and never really got in touch with my feminine side. I never wore make up; I wasn’t at all into fashion or obsessed about boys – although I admit I did have a few crushes.