Many in our society have glamorized female celebrities who have been able to quickly lose weight after giving birth. Pictures of Heidi Klum in 2009 and Adriana Lima in 2012 both walking the Victoria Secret runway less than eight weeks after each gave birth flooded the internet. Similarly, pictures of Victoria Beckham in skintight dresses were omnipresent after she gave birth to her daughter, Zoe Saldana attended the Oscars in a form fitting dress weeks after giving birth the twins, and Fergie was photographed in skinny jeans less than one month after giving birth to her son.

And now singer Kelly Clarkson joins or, rather, refuses to join the show. Clarkson gave birth to her first child last June. She recently appeared on a British talk show. After Clarkson’s appearance a renowned British blogger took to twitter to ruthlessly criticize her weight gain. The attack on Clarkson’s personal appearance was brutal. Clarkson’s response to the online attack, however, was uplifting and tremendously encouraging for other women:

She's tweeted something nasty about me? That's because she doesn't know me. I'm awesome! It doesn't bother me. It's a free world. Say what you will.

I've just never cared what people think. It's more if I'm happy and I'm confident and feeling good, that's always been my thing. And more so now, since having a family — I don't seek out any other acceptance.

Clarkson response gave the perfect message to women who struggle with their weight every day. When reading about the cyber-attack on Clarkson and her response my immediate response was, “Thank you Kelly Clarkson. Those of us who may still be carrying around some of the baby weight twenty years later applaud you.”