Follow up on Fat

Thanks so much for all your kind words--everyone, you make me teary eyed! I am indeed blessed with many good friends.

My purpose in posting what I did yesterday was threefold, though there was one main point. First, to answer Anonymous. Second, to expose what I think is the folly of allowing anonymous commenters, because I think, as a couple of you have said, we say all kinds of things anonymously that we wouldn't otherwise. But my third and most importand reason was the one that's been simmering in my mind probably ever since I got a blog--that I have wanted to, at some point, use it to discuss body image, and I think I got my point across. So, while I'm not happy with what Anonymous originally said, I am happy that it spurred me on to write what I've been meaning to write about for a long time.

That said. Anonymous read my post and left another comment on Katie's blog. Here it is:

look maybe I shouldnt have said what I did about your kid. I was disturbed however by a lot of your viewpoints displayed on your blog. maybe I went too far. I am sorry.as far as the overweight thing it was more about the fact that I was sitting there thinking that someone who is so concerned about health and stuff is missing the obvious. it is not like I hate fat people or something. I know someone currently who I care very much about who is very very obese. she admits she has a problem. she didnt admit it before because she too was healthy as the proverbial horse until recently. she has now been told to take it off or prepare to die young. I have dealt with this myself, I was not obese but I was overweight enough it began to affect my health. I too refused to lose weight because "I wanted to be accepted for me". well now its about health so its amazing how easy it is. I want to be alive for my kids and grandkids. my whole family is fat, in fact it killed my dad. some of them have lost it, so it IS possible

So, I stand amazed. I'm tempted to say something corny like look what can happen with a little compassion. I saw Anonymous get into name-calling fight with others on Katie's blog, and I knew I didn't want to do that. I think it takes some understanding and de-polarizing of the situation to really try to figure out what is *really* being said.

Anonymous, I said it on Katie's blog, and I'll say it here: you are welcome to register with blogger and comment on whatever you'd like to on my blog. Just in a non-attacking, respectful way.

I hope to see you again soon.

I'll get that book review to you soon but not today--I'm crazy busy. (I'm eating lunch at the computer as I type.) I did girl scouts this morning--drove a great bunch of teenaged girls to the prison, and after this I need to pick up my kids from their Saturday Academy classes at PSU, and shop at the Saturday farmer's market that's at PSU (the Wednesday one closed for the season so I've got this one 'til the end of December...) and THEN tonight we are honoring the memory of Fr. Elias, who was the priest at our church for 19 years and died young from cancer, and also honoring his wife who has gone on to do great work for the church, visiting shut-ins, and currently working for a young man who is in prison--looks like he has an unjustly long sentence, and she's working to get him out earlier. So, like I said, my day is crazy busy! I'll get to it when I can.