Well, I did it. I had RNY Gastric Bypass on August 28th. I would be lying if I said my life hasn’t totally changed. Between April 24th and August 28th, I lost 48 pounds. Since August 28th, I have lost another 31 pounds. While I am super excited about all of that, the difference in the way people treat me is kind of insane. Maybe it’s because I was small, then big, now trying to get small again or maybe it is because I just try to see people for who they are, not how they appear, but it has almost been disconcerting to watch how people treat each other lately.
I am perfectly aware that people have been treating each other horribly for a long time, nothing is new on that front. I just keep watching how people can say things about others or hold things against others that don’t matter. Sometimes I wish we all walked around without skin or clothes. Take away the body size, the looks, the outward identities that we put on like a set of clothes in the morning and we take away the things that humans tend to judge and get to the basis of humanity. Yes, I have lost weight. That doesn’t change who I am as a person. Yes, I wear smaller clothes, that doesn’t change my intelligence level. Yes, I move with less pain, that doesn’t change how much heart I put into everything and everyone around me.
I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately. It has been showing up in my devotions and popping into my head. I’m guilty of it as well, but I am trying to not be. I’m trying to remember that there is humanity beneath all the outward appearance. People are the ones we are to leave regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual preference, football team preference, size, looks, the music they listen to, the car they drive, their age, their level of education, where they live, what they study, and the list goes on and on. What if, just once per day, everyone made a concerted effort to love someone who was different than they are? What would happen?
Why am I on this kick? It’s actually pretty simple. I don’t want to be treated better because I’m smaller. I want to be treated like a valued human regardless of my size. I’m tired of everyone being so mean to each other. We can actually have differences of opinions and still respect and be kind to one another. We can look different and still be valued. In fact, if we take into account that Bible verse about God making us in his own image, it seems like we might ought to look around at all the images God made. I don’t normally get very religious in front of people. Partially that is because I never studied religion, it’s also because I’m from the south and was raised that religion (and politics) is just one of those things you keep to yourself. That’s why this isn’t really a religious post. At least, it isn’t meant to be. It is meant to be a reminder that, regardless of someone’s size or any other outward appearance, they are still wonderfully made and deserving of kindness.
Maybe I am too much in my feelings this morning, but it is incredibly sad to me that we can’t look past the outward appearance to see the beauty that every individual brings to this world. It’s fine to not like things, but it isn’t fine to treat people shoddily.
To the woman that told me I was a fata** in Walmart the other night because I was buying marshmallows, I’m sorry you were having such a hard day. I also hope you have a great Thanksgiving week.
To the sports fans that treat each other ugly, I hope you are soon able to enjoy the blessing of watching sports without having to rain on someone else’s parade.
To the guy that hit my dog last week and kept going, I hope you got where you needed to go on time and that everything was ok. Don’t worry, Summitt is fine.
To the kids that talk ugly about each other in school, take a moment to think about all the amazing things that the people around you bring to your world. Focus on those instead.
To the people in this world (and I really mean to all of us) who treat others differently because of some prejudice that we hold against something, try closing your eyes and listening/appreciating the person in front of you instead of focusing on the imperfection that you see.
None of us are perfect, but think about how much more perfect this world could be with a little more kindness and understanding, a little more appreciation of the things that bring us together instead of focusing on what makes us different, a little more appreciation and love for our “neighbor” without judgement and harsh words. As we move into this thanksgiving week, I think I’m ready to spend more time being thankful for all the colors, sizes, shapes, and types of people in my life instead of looking at how we are different.
Beautiful Minds Inspire Others 