Bariatric Healthy Living II

The most recent edition of the Bariatric Healthy Living newsletter included a recipe for my Chick'n Lick'n Good Pizza. Yummy!

In My Grandmother's Footsteps

The person I admire most in the world is my grandmother. Not only because she raised me and taught me everything that I know about being a woman of character, but because through the example of her life, she has shown me what it means to walk through challenge and adversity with strength and dignity. Despite the expensive education I have been blessed to receive, the lessons I learned at her knee are the ones on which I rely as I make my way through life.

That said, it’s not unusual for me to hear her voice in my head as I wrestle with everyday decisions as mundane as what to wear or deal with issues as complicated as whether to purchase a particular home in a particular neighborhood. When I’m in a clothing store and trying to determine whether to make a purchase, I hear her say, “Andrea, I know you want that, but do you really need it?” Then I hear, “Andrea, never spend your last dime anywhere." And finally, “Andrea, does that shirt match anything you already have in your closet?” There was a time when I found that extra voice in my head troubling, but now it’s a comfort. It means that a person whose opinion and judgment I trust is always with me, whether she’s 100 miles away or in the next room.

In true Grandma fashion, as I have traveled on this weight loss journey, she has been with me every step of the way. Encouraging me. Motivating me. Loving me. And although she did not need to lose any weight, she started reading labels carefully, as a show of support for me. In the process, she’s gone down at least two dress sizes herself. So today, not only do I walk in her footsteps, but I get to wear her old suits. Yay!

Thank you, Grandma. For being my best friend. For teaching me the value of hard work. For showing me what it means to live my life with purpose. I love you.