Legs

Dear Patient,

“I’m so sorry I didn’t shave my legs,” a woman will say sheepishly as she rolls up her pant legs so I can place the needles.

It’s an apology based in acknowledgement of the social contract—that a woman is expected to have silky smooth legs at all times. When she doesn’t, she must declare to the world that she hasn’t kept up her end of the bargain. Admit the wrongdoing; be repentant.

Pease do not apologize for your unshaven legs, dear patient. Your doing so reinforces outdated notions of what a woman should be. Your worth has nothing to do with the length of the hair on your legs. You are here seeking care, relief from pain and suffering. You do not have to make yourself presentable in advance. Your only job is to show up and rest.

Your legs are a marvel. They have carried you through this lifetime. They have traversed continents, danced in the moonlight, perhaps even snapped in two. And still they march on, bearing you forth to your destiny. Each vein and bump and bulge and scar tells the story of you. Let every hair grow wild and free upon the landscape of your glorious legs.

Love and gratitude,

Your Acupuncturist