For all of you body conscious people out there, I have news for you! You ain’t seen nothin’ yet! I have read more posts lately about weight than I care to. Take this for example:

“Then they slip into the most skanky clothes and parade through the beaches, city parks and streets disgusting those of us who actually care about their health and how they look.”

Another poster typed that she recently learned people on OS didn’t like her because she was fat, and has since deleted the post.

I certainly do not have a perfect body and I know diet and exercise are key to looking and feeling great. Our society is obsessed with youth and beauty yet, the older I get, the more comfortable I am with myself. I am thankful I have two legs that work and two arms that can reach over my head when I need something out of my cabinets. I am more thankful than any of you know.

When I see or hear people make fun of others because they do not fit in, it affects me deeply, to the very core of my being. A person I love with every breath I take does not fit in to any youth or beauty category. When she was born, she wore casts on her legs for over a year. Her mother was told this child would never walk, nor ride a bike. When she ate, food would come out of her nose because she had a hole in the roof of her mouth. She can’t open her hands because her fingers simply don’t work that way. While her sisters grew to over five feet six inches tall, she stayed at four feet, eleven inches. While her sisters wore high heels, she wore high-top tennis shoes because she has no arch.

When she goes out in public, people stare or make rude remarks. She was not kept hidden away, but forced out into every day life so she would learn to cope. As she grew, she had the most beautiful long, wavy, dark hair I had ever seen. She finally learned to walk at the age of three, after her younger sister walked across the room. She was bound and determined to follow her. Banana bike seats came out and she learned to ride a bike, as well. In high school, she drove a Mustang with elevated pedals.

Life for her has not been easy, but she doesn’t let anything stop her. My mother died last April and my little sister, Theresa, took a turn for the worse. I spent over a week sitting by her side in intensive care until she could breath on her own again. She is 51 yrs old now and has an attitude like you would not believe. She goes to work every day and bought herself a horse that she is learning to ride. She makes friends wherever she goes because she has absolutely no prejudices and a wonderful sense of humor. She's learned all too hard, her weaknesses, but she also learned her strengths. She's accepted her looks and lived her life with grace and zeal. She has a heart of gold. So, when I sound harsh on your posts, hopefully you will have a better understanding of where I am coming from.

This year, my youngest sister decided to take Theresa along on her Florida vacation. I received an e-mail from her telling me they ran into Cindy Crawford on the beach and she was kind enough to allow them to take pictures of her. So, for all you people who wish you had the perfect body, I say, “Live your life with zeal and be thankful!”

And I offer you this, my amazing and imperfect little sister...