I feel like I spent the entire year of 2016 in recovery mode. I had suffered a severe kidney infection and kidney failure in December 2015. It took months to recover from the situation. In July of 2016, I pinched a nerve in my back that left me in excruciating pain through my shoulder and elbow. I was in physical therapy for over two months dealing with that issue. It seemed like I was falling apart and I was dreading what could come next. I was 47, overweight, and suffering from high blood pressure. I was more than a little depressed. So, by the end of that year, I knew that I needed to make a change. So, I did.
I declared 2017 the year I brought sexy back. Sexy had a pretty long way to come... I started walking every morning and evening, just up and down my driveway. I logged step after step and mile after mile. I know I must have looked foolish to the cars that passed by on the busy highway. I was that crazy woman who walked all the time, usually talking to myself, and often dancing. Every morning, as I took that first step, I would say, "Every step I take gets me one step closer to where I want to be." I would push myself to hit the next thousand mark, to hit the next mile. And, as difficult as it was at times, I never lost my motivation. I would look down at my phone and say, "I can do it!" And, I did.
It was mid-summer before I was able to take a photo of myself and share it on Facebook. I had hidden from the camera for 20 years. There were hardly any photos of me with my sons. It was almost like I hadn't truly existed for a long time. In June, I was inspired by a story I read about a woman who took a photo of herself every day during her weight loss journey. Her goal was to take a selfie a day until she recognized herself. I decided to adopt the same practice. Still, I take a photo a day to inspire myself and to hold myself accountable. The minute I start hiding from the camera, it's over. I never want to hide again. I jokingly declared 2017 the year I brought sexy back. But, it really wasn't about sexy at all. It was about love. I wanted to find out if there was something left to love. There was. I did.
Beautiful!
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