My Legs

I was reading another blog today, and the writer was talking about the awful things that people say to fat people. People can be beyond cruel, and they seem to think that just because you're fat means you can't hear either, or have no feelings.

"Oh my God, look how fat that girl is, and look at how much she's eating"
"Good grief, look how fat she is! I wonder where she finds clothes that fit that body"
"You have such a pretty face, if you'd just lose weight"
"Mommy!! Look how FAT that lady is!"
"Ugh! People with legs like that should never wear shorts!"

And on, and on, and on.

After losing a great deal of weight, I am still far from thin, and never will be thin. I'm pretty average size for a soon-to-be-50 woman. But my legs are my worst feature. I have hated them for years. They are much bigger than the rest of me, and years of yo-yo dieting have left them saggy like a Sharpei. There is nothing I can do to change this--if I weighed 95 pounds they would still look that way (probably worse!). I look at other women, with their cute legs, in short skirts, and feel so inadequate.

Today, coming out of the gym, I had an "ah-ha" moment. I can't change this. No matter what I do, these are the legs I've got. Agonizing about it won't change a darn thing. So I have to accept them for what they are. And on the uncommon occasion when I wear shorts, if someone looks at my legs and doesn't like what they see, they are free to look the other way!