"As a rape survivor, I always felt my body betrayed me. I was mad at it for being so weak, for letting everything happen, for not saving me from the worst nightmare I could ever imagine. I was just 11 at the time, amidst of growing up. I was discovering myself, femininity and sexuality. All was stopped at once. All I could think of, all I wanted, was for my body and I to be separated. As years went on I developed severe Bulimia. Nobody knew of course. I was always the strong-powerful-wise woman for everyone. How could I ever share with them how weak I really was? So I constantly punished my body, by not taking care of it, by pretending I'm really disgusting, ugly, fat, and so many more things that I will spare you. So I was drowning for years, deeper and deeper, pretending all was fine.

When I started recovery, there was one person who saw me - an amazing blind woman who saw me with her heart, and that changed everything. It was a long road, it still is. Yet I can say today, that I'm a much wiser woman.

I'm beautiful, I'm sexy, and I'm strong. I believe that because I learned to love my body and take care of it. Thank it for making me who I am. Being beautiful, sexual and strong is a good thing. Not something to be ashamed of.and because of that, I wanted to give myself, my body, a present. Thank it for sticking with me even when I did everything possible to ruin it. Give it the love it deserves.

Society expects us to diminish how we see ourselves. I'm not willing to do that anymore. What makes me as strong as I am is that knowledge I learned the hard way. Choosing to be you is the best present you can give yourself."

Hair and Makeup by Cassy Avraham