Cheryl's Story: Take Your Time

To be honest, I don’t think I’ve ever gone bra shopping until I was actually 18 years old.

Coming from an immigrant household, my mom hoarded a lot of old clothes: hers, my sister’s, and even my grandma’s! When I was 12, it was time for my first bra. She dug out a container, dusted the top, and picked out a couple odd and outdated bras for me to try. Needless to say, they all fit weirdly. Whether the cups were filled with nothing but air, or the underwire cut into my ribcage, nothing seemed to work for my body.

I ended up with a sports bra so thin there was almost no point in wearing it at all, but as a girl eager to grow up, I wanted to feel more mature, so I took it. Somehow, it only emphasized the curveless wall that was my chest. (I mean, puberty had just started, but obviously I thought I was getting double Ds immediately). This led me to dig and dig into the depths of my mom's bra pile until I stumbled upon a really thick padded sports bra. Perfect! This would give me the curves I wanted. I scurried up to my mom and asked her if I could wear this, to which she replied, “You’re so young, you don’t need to wear this yet. Don’t worry! You’ll grow. Take your time.”

“Take your time”, what does that even mean? I wanted boobs NOW! Despite her advice, I took the bra and wore it to school the next day anyway. I was strutting my stuff around the hallways expecting heads to turn, mouths to drop, and eyes to sparkle, but instead, I felt a little self-conscious. Maybe my mom was right, I should just let my body grow naturally. There was no point in rushing. How my body chooses to grow, is how I'll cherish it. From that day forward, I promised myself that whatever I wore would only make me more confident and proud of what I looked like. After all, the transition during puberty will help you grow into a beautiful person, inside and out. Just take your time.