I have size 12 women's feet, and I'm proud of it.

I like walking into shoe stores and having only six pairs to choose from – it cuts down the decision time. I also enjoy being able to order my prom shoes from yourfeetmakeyouunique.com because I know no one else will have the same shoes. It doesn't hurt, either, that the name of the store is a confidence booster.

People ask me how I deal with having big feet, but to be honest, I rarely think about it. I have been the biggest girl in my family, among my friends, and in my grade my whole life. I am athletically built and am not meant to wear size four clothing like my sister.

There are benefits to my size. When I'm playing softball, I am able to maintain my balance if a girl slides into me at home plate. My feet, hands, legs, and arms are all in proportion, so if I were to lose 30 pounds, I would look abnormal and might even be mistaken for E.T.'s twin.

I used to be uncomfortable with my body, which is normal for kids my age, but I always thought I was worse off than everyone else. I never ate more than normal size portions, and I played sports, so I was not lazy.

When I was young, I was pretty frustrated, thinking I had been born with a less than ideal body. During junior high and into high school, I was afraid to wear nice clothes because I thought they only looked good on girls who wore a size two and had size seven feet. Instead, I would wear a sweatshirt and sweatpants, or occasionally jeans if I was feeling adventurous. In stores, I resented the cute clothing as if it was the clothes' fault I couldn't try them on. I wished I could wear my smelly softball uniform everywhere because that was what I felt most comfortable in. On the softball field, it didn't matter what size I was, only how well I played.

I don't know exactly when it happened, but one day I realized I didn't hate my body anymore. Maybe it was the day I pitched five games in a row and could have kept playing, or the time I tried on a bikini for laughs and saw that it actually looked good on me. Maybe I just grew tired of wishing my body was different.

Now I'm happy when I step onto the volleyball court wearing tight spandex, because I know I can serve a ball that most girls can't dig up. I am even happy walking on the beach in a bikini because I feel powerful. And when I walk down the halls at school or the mall, I am not self-conscious. I wouldn't change a thing, even if my fairy godmother gave me three wishes. I will just keep walking with my head held high, putting one size-12 foot in front of the other, knowing that I am beautiful.