Look at us!

I had the pleasure of seeing an old friend from high school this past weekend. He was in town for the dedication of his baby girl, there was a church service followed by a get together at his grandparents lake house. His Mom was in town too and I just love this woman. She greeted twin sis and I with a hug and was all "Look at us! We're all skinny!" She's a wonderful lady who never made me feel bad about my size. At my heaviest twin sis and I had road tripped to Nashville over New Years to see our friend and his Mom welcomed us into her house even though we just showed up and the family was under a great deal of stress. I was massive then but she was very kind to me. I remember leaving her house with bags of clothes that were now too small for her, but just large enough for me. I was a 3x/28 then and although mortified by her gift was also grateful. She had just had a panniculectomy and I was amazed at the difference in her shape. She had lost some weight but not all of it, however her excess skin was causing problems and so she had the surgery pretty early on. I think it was her experience that planted the plastics seed in me. Ten years later and she still looks amazing, still thin, still eating well and has even lost a few more pounds.

At one point in the afternoon some old neighbors came by. It was clear that she hadn't seen these people in forever, because that moment happened. That moment I love, that moment where someone you haven't seen in forever is simply happy for you and the changes you have made in your life. I teared up watching my friend's mom be embraced and complimented by someone from her past. She kept saying over and over, "Look at you!"