Connections

So my fave new blog (besides verbal diarrhea and it's not a phone call...) is Single Dad Laughing. He is a great writer, and very real. One of his latest re-posts really hit home for me in many ways. Here is the link. He talks tongue in cheek about fattening up for family photos, so that when you or anyone sees them and then sees you, they will be impressed by how much thinner you look in reality. Well this Christmas my uncle brought over some pics he took of us during Christmas 5 years ago, and in the pack was a picture of me. It was HORRIBLE!! I looked SO ugly, SO unhealthy, SO old, and SO fat!! It was NOT good. I wanted to cry and not show ANYONE that picture. Then I looked at pictures of myself from this Christmas, and was relieved to see that I looked a lot better. I am certainly not at my ideal weight, but I am slowly working my way there, and I DO look better than I did 5 years ago, I think anyway. I feel better about myself then I did 5 years ago (even though certain people don't think so), and I have the tools and the motivation to make myself even better. I agree with Dan, sometimes we try to "hide" from the camera so that we don't have to face the "ugly" truth, but sometimes, as it happened this year for me, we are pleasantly surprised by what old photographs can show us.

The pic is now hanging on my fridge, to motivate me and also remind me where I was. It will be a long journey yet, but I am still determined to be a healthier me.