Consider these candid photos of me - they were taken one year apart, 2019 and 2020.

Alice (you can read about her in the last post) would have you believe the thinner version is healthier. I mean, look at those collar bones?! No double chin! And who knew I liked yellow flowers? These are the only floral items I own.

But, did you notice the accessories? That colorful set of bangles? Hospital patient band, DNR (Do Not Resuscitate), Fall Risk, and a red ribbon of healing that arrived when I was in palliative care. Yes, I nearly died. Those bangles were pared down to a single Medic Alert bracelet. I’ve worn one for more than a decade.

I had to sit. I could barely stand. That right leg, so casually in front, in the first photo — sports ten inches of scarring, in the second photo. Amputation was a very real possibility. More importantly, it healed and carried me into a swimming hole with my family.

But, I look like an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, in the first! I look fat, in the second. Truthfully, I am about 20 pounds heavier than a “healthy” weight for my height. But, I’m learning a new body. My beautiful body, a body that endured brain surgery, a dissected and then ruptured femoral artery, a collapsed lung, massive abdominal bleeding and 6 weeks of starvation. A body that is strong and fragile. A body that is scarred but alive. A body made stronger because of my knowledge and training as a health coach.

So, Alice, we will learn, in time, to be the healthiest version of us.

Don’t judge a person by their appearance. Certainly, don’t judge yourself harshly. Remember that health is not a destination it is a journey. Life happens, injuries, illness, heartaches — health, wellness, loving-kindness.

Are you ready to change your approach? Are you ready to love yourself? I’d love to work with you.