“Daenel, come here…”
I turned back to the voice.
“I just wanted to tell you something… You are getting really wide. Maybe now that you have a job, you’ll start moving around a lot more.”
I stood there. Stunned. Like someone had just hit me. How does one friend say this to another? Or is this a case where friends are allowed to say whatever they want to each other. You know, with friendship comes honesty, right?
I simply turned and left.
When I was diagnosed with cancer, I knew that weight gain would be one of the side effects. I even joked about it – you know, after I found out that I would live. Cancer isn’t always a death sentence. And some folks come through the other side with little to no issues. I wasn’t one of them. I have problems that I’ve had to navigate around. Things I don’t share.
Every night I lie down with this body and every morning I wake up with it. I know the rolls. I see the wrinkles. I’m aware of its width. I deal with the frustration of pants that fit one week and don’t the next. I put this body on display every week on this blog and it takes a lot.
But I also lie down and wake up this body, knowing that each day is a blessing. This body has carried children, fought cancer, and run a few races. This body has loved hard. This body has fought battles you’ll never understand. It may not be a perfect body, but it’s my body and I’m grateful for it each and every day.
Living, Learning, and Loving.
Love to you always,
