She touched my tummy. “Wow, they’re hard! And your tummy--so flat! And your waist is so thin. Looks great!”
This was not a “Wanna come over and watch a DVD later?” type thing (IYKYK). We’re both very happily married, deliberately opt-in kinda monogamous, heterosexual, traditional gals who still have crushes on our sexy hubbies.
It took me back to the times when things were very different with female friends, so much so that I hung out with guys most of the time to make my life simple and drama-free. For years and years, I was one of the boys and it was bliss!
Guys are just so uncomplicated, they think what they think and then they freaking say it!
No back-biting, no passive-aggressive razor blades stuck into a compliment sandwich, no stealth “It’s fine!” carpet-bombs, unless you can omnisciently guess otherwise.
Ahh you men—you’re such champs!
I was nearly twenty when I dared open up to girlfriends on a deeper level after a rather dangerous journey through trying to find my balance since being a child. I thought I had it figured out by then.
My balance, it tuned out, was making myself small, unshiny, dull and often saying things like, “Yaaah, I know, I’m just so silly!” so that my sensitive, people-pleasing soul would be under the radar and not under attack for any or no reason.
This lasted for another few decades until awareness started to shine a light into that shady corner.
Wow, my mindset needed some dusting, some readjusting.
Something inside of me started to shift.
Inner shifts always lead to outer shifts, don’t they?
I am now surrounded by a very different girl tribe.
I can speak my mind, I can speak my soul.
I can now share my dreams, and MOST importantly, I can share when my dreams come true!
Without hesitation, without auto-punching the ”MUTE” or “DIM” button.
My joys are their joys and they teach, advise, encourage, inspire and then celebrate with me!
Like the side-effects of my newfound interest in health via strength-training.
Did I point out to CK the thing I don’t like in my body, as girls so often do?
I did!
I wanted to show her my chubby thighs and orange skin.
But only to say, “Don’t forget how this looks, bella, because imma get rid of them next!”
Because the kindness your wholesome sisters extend to you is also the kindness you should extend to yourself and when you do that, it automatically spills over and flows back to others, you see.
It’s like an abundant, infinite circle of hugs!
Let’s pinky promise to keep this delicious circle going, sistas!
Life is so much juicier that way!
And here’s a photo of my dear bella CK.
She crouched down by a good foot and I got on the tippy toes of my size 36.5 feet and we made it work!
