I don't need you to tell me...

Today, someone visting our office referenced his assistant as his "chubby cherub". When said it sounded like a term of endearment. Then my boss said "He must be talking about you". I was hurt and angry. He, as he has done in the past, was drawing attention to my size. He is ignorant to what he says and how it affects others. And today, I stood up to him. Today, I asked why he would think that. I forced him to respond to his answer. It was uncomfortable because I was drawing attention not only to him, but to me as well. But I did it. No one has the right to belittle or demean others. NO ONE. We take it normally because to speak up would draw attention to ourselves. It would make us appear larger not only in size but just larger in the room. And larger, is something we don't want to draw attention to. We spend our time hiding. If we are going to live large, we might as well as live LARGE fully. If we are LARGE than it is okay and it is acceptable. Is it healthy? We know its not, but do we need others telling us what we already know? Do we need others paying attention to it? I am saying no to the community voice that makes obesity bad, or wrong, or unworthy of life's treasures. Yes, obesity is a disease that is killing many people. And yes, we need to do all we can to become healthier and stronger. But not for anyone else but for ourselves. There are a lot of people involved in the decision. Our family, friends, children, loved ones. The longer we stay around the more joy we can experience. But obesity should not be a dirty word, a RED LETTER, that allows people to be demeaning.

From this day forward, I am giving my all to myself, my WORTH. I am worth my weight in GOLD and I am not going to settle for less because I am a LARGE woman. I am not going to settle ever again. I will speak up against rudeness, prejudice, criticism. I am a People Builder, an uplifter, an encourager. I am my own voice, my own success, my own joy, my own person. I am a LARGE Woman. Larger than you know. So those of you who think you know how to help me lose weight, or feel the need to remind me that I am fat...watch out, because I am speaking up.

It's time to be a uplifter.

I am Worth My Weight In Gold, You are too!

This topic started so innocently for me. I have been on the journey to finding myself in my career, my relationships, my every day life of getting up in the morning and getting going. I am 50, overweight, (well actually I think they have coined the term "Obese", isn't that a lovely word?), I have had gastric bypass surgery, I have struggled with alcoholism and have been sober for 3 years now, and I am on a journey. One that I wouldn't quite call a yellow brick road, or a road paved of gold. At times the journey seems to be through quick sand and other times a walk in the park. The journey has held all the emotions imaginable from tears of joy, to buckets of sadness, and it has caused a loss of friends while also gained some new ones.

What has been amazing through it all has been my continued growth, my increased faith and reliance on God for most of the answers, and a path that I actually look forward to following.

I decided to begin writing my journey here, recording it so that I can look back on what I have learned, done, achieved, succeeded at and perhaps at times fallen short of. I am also writing this because I strongly believe that there are others out there who are experiencing the same fears, challenges and successes and we need to being to realize that we are WORTH OUR WEIGHT IN GOLD. So let's take the labels off, and let's begin inspiring ourselves and others to be WORTH OUR WEIGHT IN GOLD.

I hope to learn something from everyone I meet here.