Christian Blogger's Post Encouraging Moms to Don Swimsuits Goes Viral
Christian blogger Jessica Turner's post encouraging her fellow mothers to don a swimsuit this summer has gone viral.
Writing on her blog, The Mom Creative, Turner noted that she was saddened that so many of her friends avoided swimsuits and instead "only put their feet in the pool," or were "concerned about what they look like and what others will think to embrace the joy of swimming with their kids."
"When women stay on the sidelines because of insecurity, we are modeling unhealthy behavior to our children and we are missing out," argued Turner. "Your swimsuit does not define you."
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The mother of two who is currently expecting her third, included pictures of herself in a swimsuit with her two children, as she continued making her argument.
"When we went to the beach in April, I weighed a few pounds more than I wanted to. But you know what? I put my swimsuit on anyway and RAN INTO THE OCEAN with my kids," she said, adding that her son later told her that his favorite part of the day had been jogging on the beach with his parents.
"I refuse to miss my children's high-pitched, pool-induced giggles because of my insecurities...Because at the end of the day, it is not about me. It is about my kids," she said.
Turner's post was picked up as a topic for discussion at HuffPostLive on Thursday and on Friday was featured on The Today Show.
Writing on Wednesday, Turner expressed excitement over the feedback that her post had generated.
"May I first say thank you to each of you who have encouraged me in the past week. I never expected a picture of me in a bathing suit to flood Facebook like it did," she wrote. "I am humbled by your kindness and inspired by your courage. Truly. I've cried many times this week, reading your comments and emails. So thank you for inviting me into your story."
Turner also announced that that she would be releasing a book, "The Fringe Hours," in February 2015.
Turner's husband, Matthew Paul Turner, is also a writer who writes blogs on the contemporary church at Jesus Needs New PR and writes a column for The Daily Beast.
