We all know we’re supposed to be grateful for what we have, right? That there are those less fortunate than us, those who suffer in ways we have never had to imagine and yet somehow continue to thrive. The father who picks his kids up from school every day in his electric wheelchair, and smiles brightly as he sees his kids run to him. The athlete who suffered a career changing injury and now coaches future hopefuls instead. The mom who lost her children in a terrible accident yet finds a way to continue to live.
We are often reminded of how our lives could be different. Today I ran across a video that is SO powerful. In a world that caters to perfection, this touching short film reminds us that beauty comes in many forms. And if you haven’t reflected recently on how lucky you are to have your perfectly beautiful body, this is the time to do so.
Disabled mannequins will surely illicit astonished looks from passers-by on Zurich’s Bahnhofstrasse. In between the perfect mannequins, there will be those with scoliosis or brittle bone disease modelling the latest fashions. One will have shortened limbs while another a malformed spine. These mannequins are modeled after people who live with these disfigured bodies everyday. As one model says, it’s strange to see a mannequin shaped like her when she can barely stand to look in the mirror. How sad. And yet we are so consumed with creating a ‘perfect’ figure that most of us don’t stop to realize just how perfect our bodies are.
This powerful campaign has been devised for the International Day of Persons with Disabilities by Pro Infirmis, an organisation for the disabled. Entitled “Because who is perfect? Get closer.”, it’s designed to provoke reflection on the acceptance of people with disabilities. Director Alain Gsponer has captured the campaign as a short film.
Makes me wonder if those last 10 pounds I’m so focused on losing should occupy even a fraction of the space in my mind that they do.
Please SHARE with friends and family. This is such a great message.
