Appreciating What I Still Have

Back in my 20's and 30's I had a cute little figure.
A pleasant face.
Great hair.
And I felt great, too.

But now, my figure looks like a bag of flour cinched tightly in the middle.
My face looks like a road map they'd sell you at a convenience store on the Moon (lots of tiny lines and huge craters. Did I ever tell you how I had chicken pox when I was 33?).
But I still have mostly-great hair.
And I still feel mostly-great.

Yesterday I was off to see the wizard, the wonderful wizard of......hair. My friend, Lee, has an adorable little salon in a tiny cabin painted yellow. While she rolled my hair into oodles of perm-scented curls, I asked her if my hair was still thick, or if it had begun to thin-out, being as I am now nearly as old as dirt.

Lee gave a delirious little laugh. She told me I had nothing to worry about--my hair was as thick as ever and she still has to use more curlers than is normal.

Whew.

I've been learning more lessons this week. I've been remembering how horrified I was years ago when I first weighed what I believed was an incredibly-heavy 145 pounds.

Now, oh my... I'd treat myself to a Hawaiian vacation if I could get down to 145 pounds again. I'd buy myself a whole new wardrobe if I could once again wear just about anything and look great... if I could wear thick sweaters, shorts and pants with pockets. If I could still eat lightly over a weekend and then weigh two pounds less by Monday...

...if I could walk into an old-fashioned candy store JUST TO BREATHE-IN THE CHOCOLATE and not walk out one pound heavier.

But for now,(here is what I'm learning), I will just choose to be happy at my present weight (while I calmly try to lose a little of it).
And I will remember that I still have mostly-great hair.
And I will rejoice that I still feel mostly-great.

For someday, that all may not be true, but at least, I will not have missed celebrating it while it was.


(Taken 12 years ago, back when Debra had her cute little figure.)


***

"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you are called in one body; and be thankful." ... Colossians 3:15