When Olivia White found herself staring at a photo of herself and her daughter on the beach, a sense of unease immediately washed over her. The image, candidly captured in a moment of mutual connection between mother and daughter, seemed completely innocent to the eye of an outsider. But Olivia, a 28-year-old mother from Melbourne, Australia, knew she couldn’t bring herself to share it with the world online. The photo embodied something deeper, something that resonated with her own insecurities about her body, even though she is often seen as a conventionally attractive woman.
Nevertheless, the mother of two published the picture on her Instagram. But she took the opportunity to discuss how she is very insecure about her body despite being what many people consider a beautiful woman.
“I didn’t post this photo while we were away because I hated the way my stomach looked,” she admitted. “As much as I try to be confident and positive about my appearance, it’s not just a switch and one day you’re going to be 110 percent okay with yourself.”
Even though White is a successful and “traditional” beauty, she still struggles with body issues like the rest of us.
“It’s a daily thing and you have good days and bad days… But you can’t stop, especially when little eyes are watching you.”
She mustered up the courage and published the “unflattering” photo. In it, you see a mom and her 22-month-old daughter Teddy. White is a blogger known for her site House of White.
She shared the photo because she wants other moms to feel confident.
“You just have to remind yourself every day that you are amazing, no matter what anyone else or your own brain tries to make you think,” she said. “This is a beautiful moment between my daughter and me, a memory I want to keep forever and nothing can spoil it.”
Although she thought she was doing the mommy world a service, White was bombarded with negative responses. But some people managed to see him spread the message of self-confidence and appreciation.
“I wanted to remind you of something very important,” she said. “When I shared my beach photo the other day, I was overwhelmed by the response from other moms who felt the same way about the photos and also didn’t keep or post the pictures because they didn’t like how they looked…
“Obviously, some people didn’t say the nicest thing. And some people reminded me that I’m lucky to even have those pictures and you know what — they’re absolutely right.”
But one mother from the United States put White’s body issues into perspective.
“One of the comments I received was from a mum in the US who had just lost her two eldest sons aged 18 and 20 in a car accident that month,” Olivia said. “She begged me not to worry about how I would ever look in these pictures because she regretted that she herself has almost no photos of herself with her children for the same reason. My heart absolutely broke into a million pieces for her .eyes started watering and that’s when it hit me like a ton of bricks. I know this woman’s story is unique but so often we complain that we are not in the pictures because we keep taking pictures of them just to take one and dissect what we look like, and don’t even keep it.”
The controversy that arose from Olivia’s seemingly simple photo was a reminder of the diversity of the human experience. He emphasized how perceptions, uncertainties, and perspectives intermingle and collide, even in the digital sphere. Amidst the debate and discussion, Olivia’s initial intent remained clear – to spark a conversation that encourages individuals to embrace themselves and their experiences, both on and off camera.