Body image is something that a majority of humans deal with; male or female. We are inundated with images all day long, especially on Instagram, of people with ‘perfect’ or ‘ideal’ bodies.

These images make us look at the slight bulge on our hips with distaste instead of compassion. These images make us pause whenever we pass a mirror to check our appearance. Is this top too revealing? Do I look thin? Can you tell I’ve been working out?

I’m writing in generalizations here, but this is my opinion and certainly my experience.

But Pinot doesn’t see a lack of thigh gap or care if my abdomen is toned.

Pinot just wants to jump on my bed and curl up against any part of that body that she can. She wants to snuggle into my pillow and cover my faces with kisses because she’s woken up from her nap and wants me to play with her instead of writing this blog post.

She literally pulls me away from the mirror (she’s still in the phase where she always has a leash attached to her) and whines when I take too long to get dressed.

She shows me every day that she loves me. No matter what I look like, or how much tone my abdomen currently has. She loves me.

@pinot_therescuepup via Instagram

My first reaction to this photo is ‘my legs look huge, I can’t use this.’ Logically I know it has more to do with the camera angle than my body, but it’s still my gut reaction. And in the past that would have stopped me from posting the image anywhere.

But Pinot doesn’t give a shit about the size of my legs, she cares what they can do.

They allow me to walk many miles with her each day, they allow me to chase her through the yard, they support me when I pick her up for a cuddle even though she’s gaining a pound a day (not really, but it feels that way).

I’ve been in a loving, committed relationship with an amazing man. He always made me feel beautiful because of both my character and my physical features. But there is something different about this experience that has me looking at my body in a completely new way.

Yes, it has to do with timing of my life and other internal work I’ve done on myself before adopting her and yet, it’s our life that we’re building that has changed the way I look at my lack of a thigh gap.

She loves me because we are partners. And she shows me how much she loves me continually, every day. No matter what I am wearing or how I feel about myself that day. The pure joy on her face when I return or when she wakes up and I give her a belly rub or when she catches my eye randomly. It’s everything.

Pinot doesn’t understand modern beauty standards or even the idea of comparison, but her unconditional love of me is helping me find my own for my body

Let’s talk about body image – Pinot’s helping to reshape mine

Let’s talk about the bad days – you will (both) have them

Let’s talk about being a grilling assistant – Pinot has big shoes to fill