A Big Girl with an Athletic Friend

Perhaps I'm just lucky, but as a plus bigger girl my social life has never missed a beat for it. I go shopping, do cocktail parties, and whatever other outings fall in between. I also owe it to the fact that I have wonderful friends. This blog is dedicated to my childhood friend Candice, and our relationship as it has grown through the years. It also happens to be her birthday today, and we spent the weekend doing little things to celebrate her turning 28! We did a little shopping at Macy's which explains the pictures below.

 A little bit of how we know each other: we've known each other since Kindergarten, but we had a falling out around the age of 10 when I moved to public school. I found her again give or take 5 years ago as I was getting some fabric, she was the general manager. I also found out that the house that I had moved into at the time was on the same block, so we got into the habit of walking everyday together.  I've moved away to the current house I'm in now, but we still see each other when we can. Her current hobby is running, and I'm proud to say that she completed her first 5k/obstacle course last year. She's also an archer and her family breeds and trains hunting Labradors. The reason why I'm telling you all this is to show how very different we are. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Trust me, this didn't happen over night. We've worked out together, dieted together, binged together, and have gotten into plenty of fights about weight and lifestyle. I can't even really say that I've been there for her on her running journey; because I just can't relate. Just as much as she finds it difficult to understand that I have to fight a bit harder and be a bit tougher as a larger woman in the arts industry. The one thing that binds us together is that we want the best for each other, because we love who each of us has grown up to be. Other than the desire to travel and paint the town red, the only thing that binds us are our years of being together.

Recently, I've noticed Candice standing up for me and my weight. We were in a discussion with someone where they made a comment about me being on the verge of diabetes because of the way I looked. Politely, Candice did me the favor of mentioning how light of an eater I really am and confessed that she was the sweet tooth of the bunch. It was a subtle gesture but I really appreciated it. I'm so sick and tired of being the one that people pick on when they have issues with themselves because I'm an easy target due to appearance. I don't feel like I have a need to really defend the weight that I am or be ashamed because I'm a different from the rest. I eat healthy and I exercise daily, but my body doesn't quite work like everyone else. It helps to have friends of different walks of life than me that understand this. Because when it comes down to it, we're both still young women chipping their path into this world. This fact alone is why we need as much support as we can get! As I mentioned it doesn't happen over night, but when you do have that balance and it's golden.

Never apologize for who you are, there is strength in variety. I hope that sharing my relationship with Candice inspires you and help if your struggling with acceptance of who you are in your friend circles. Because there is too much pain in this world to be hurting the people we care about.