I will not apologize for what I am about to write. I feel very strongly about the words we use and the attitude with which we use them. I regret that some will possibly be upset with me about the words I am about to post here but I need to say them.
Words are like the perverbial two edged sword. They can build people up or tear them apart. They can make you happy or make you sad. Being raised in the south, I learned some words can be detrimental - bigotry because of ones race being at the forefront. I grew up in Georgia in the sixties and seventies and one would think the prejudices toward "colored" people would have been over by then. You would think it would be over by 2011 but unfortunately it is not.
Words about the way a person looks - size, height, etc. - are often said without thought but hurt just as much. I have always had weight issues and have been teased and tormented about my weight most of my life. People who love me have said things to me about my weight without realizing how their words and teasing hurt. Once those words come flying out of your mouth, you can't take them back. Oh, you can apologize for them, but the damage has been done.
It wasn't until recently, the last couple of weeks, that I realized why I still hold on to this weight. I think I have realized it is a control issue. I don't have to please anyone. I don't have to do anything I don't want to, so if I want to remain overweight for the rest of my life, I can. I am a grown woman afterall!
I don't want to be this way. I want so desperately to lose weight and be a normal size for a 5'4" woman, whatever that normal size is. I want to be able to chase after grandchildren when they come. I want to go for a nice long walk on the beach with the man of my dreams and not be so winded and in so much pain that I can't move the next day. I want all of this and more. So why don't you lose the weight, you might ask? I DON'T KNOW! If I had the answer to that, I probably wouldn't fail at every weight loss attempt I make.
I have come to the conclusion that if I don't love myself as I am, how will I ever love myself as a different - slimmer - person? I am trying so hard to love myself as I am. I am making progress, it helps that I have a wonderful husband who loves me just as I am. I am making progress and making improvements in my lifestyle. Eating healthy, starting to workout again, etc. I am learning to make positive comments to myself instead of being negative. I can always find something good about myself and my attitude.
I say all of the above to say this one comment: Please don't make rash statements that will hurt the person you are talking to (or about for that matter). We are all created in the image of a loving God and we are all "fearfully and wonderfully made". If you see someone different from yourself - fat, thin, black, white, yellow, purple, tall, short, one legged or three - love them for who they are, not for who you think they should be. I'm not talking about tolerence here, I'm talking about acceptance. People don't always choose to be the way they are.
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