Today I would like to blog about — wait for it — stretch marks. No, you did not read that wrong.

As a mother of two, I have my fair share of stretch marks decorating my body. Many times at baby showers or during the summer I hear mothers lamenting these marks — “I can’t wear my bikini anymore or my stomach is gross now.”

I would like to spin a different view of these scars.

Men seem to view scars as a badge of honor whether from a battle or a bike accident. Women view any mark as a lowering of their attractiveness.

In this case, maybe we should take a little of the male viewpoint — maybe not so far as to brag about the stretchmarks but be proud of where they came from.

Those silvery stretch marks are a sign of your love, care and devotion to your child as he or she was slowly growing inside your body. Those marks are a piece of your child that will always be with you, reminding you of them — not a blemish, but a badge of honor.

So, like a man who thinks of the story behind every scratch, we mothers can remember our children and proudly bear these scars. Our bodies are a map of what we have done, where we have been, who we were and who we are.

Don’t be ashamed of that road on the map that led to the birth of your child.