Nice to know....

I went out last night, against my better judgement, with my nephew to the pub karaoke. I knew I couldn't sing too much cos I still have a week to work with a rather fragile voice - so I can't say I was looking forward to it that much.

Suffice to say I had a really good night. Although I was only drinking iced water (yes - you read that CORRECTLY!!) I still enjoyed the company of old friends I've known for ages who were sitting at the table with me. We had a laugh and enjoyed the camaraderie.

Near the end of the night I got up to sing my last number and an old friend of mine was standing at the bar listening to me and watching. When I finished, I went over to talk to him and as he gave me a hug and a kiss, he told me I was looking well. No he said - take that back - you're beautiful! I was stunned into silence and really touched by his comment. It's not the kind of thing that's said to me very much and, although I think the poor soul must need to renew the prescription on his specs cos he sees a different thing from me quite obviously, it made my night, if not my entire year. Brian has known me from when I was at my heaviest weight and it's never made any difference to him how I look.  It was so genuine what he said and how he said it that I could have cried.

Compliments about my weight loss are occurring now on a near daily basis and I really appreciate them. I'm not vain or narcissistic in any way. I don't see myself as anything other than the overweight person I've always been. It's hard to change your opinion of yourself when you don't have a high opinion of yourself in the first place. I've never wanted to stand out in the crowd but, because of my size, I always have. Now I fit in. I'm still overweight but not so grossly so. I just want to be normal. Nothing more, nothing less.

So Brian - I don't know if you would even imagine the effect your words have had on my confidence - but it gave me a boost last night and I love you for it. It's nice to know what people think about you. It was just a comment - a few mere words - it has helped to put me into perspective FOR me! If I now think nice things about people and I have the opportunity to tell them then I will. I now know the far reaching ripples of satisfaction it can create in someone else's life.  And it only took a simple comment to cause that effect.........