A Year Later: Mirror of Courage
“Embracing your new body and reclaiming self-image”
Insights for Empowerment
I used to avoid mirrors.
Not out of vanity, but because I didn’t recognize the reflection anymore.
The woman staring back at me carried stories in her scars.
She looked whole on the outside, but inside, she was still healing.
Still learning to love the parts of her body that felt foreign.
Still reclaiming her identity after cancer tried to redefine her.
And yet, over time, I realized…
That mirror wasn’t showing me loss.
It was showing me courage.
Embracing the New Body
After my surgery, I didn’t know how to “be” in this new skin.
Every glance at my chest reminded me of what was taken.
And yet, it also reminded me of what I survived.
The softness of my curves, the strength in my posture, the calm in my eyes,
they all whispered, You’re still here. And that’s enough.
This body…this version of me…deserves to be loved, dressed, adorned, and celebrated.
Not because it’s the same… but because it’s still mine.
Reflection & Lessons
What I saw as brokenness, God called beautiful.
What I feared would make me less of a woman, became proof of my resilience.
Healing isn’t just physical.
It’s spiritual. Emotional. Mental.
It’s about learning to look at yourself without flinching.
And so, I made peace with the mirror.
Because every time I look at her now, I don’t see damage.
I see dignity.
Encouraging Nuggets
You are not your scars, but don’t be ashamed of them.
Healing includes falling back in love with the woman you’ve become.
The mirror doesn’t define you. It reflects how far you’ve come.
With love and strength,
Deb Davis
Empowering and encouraging others, one story at a time.