For the first time in almost forever, my scale has shifted downwards. I stood on the treacherous thing this morning and voila, before my eyes, the arrow was going anti-clockwise instead of standing rigid or shifting forward like it always seemed to prefer doing.

Losing a few pounds may not seem like much to some keep fit nuts out there, but the humbling lesson that trying to lose weight is teaching me is that age does count with these things. My body is no longer 22 years old and shifting these lovely bumps has become an uphill task even with eating sensibly and not indulging in all the sweetness out there.

We often don’t know what we have, or maybe we do, but we are unable to appreciate the enormity of grace that abounds in our daily lives that we get to take these things for granted and maybe even become blasé about them. I remember my svelte pre-babies figure and though she’s still somewhere in my head and in this ample bodacious body of mine, she’s been absent for many moons now.

I always took it for granted that I would get her back with the snap of my fingers instead the reverse has been the case for such a while, that some days I just feel outrightly stressed and all this has only made my fibromyalgia pains worse. I don’t like to dwell and moan over my pains, especially in my legs, however, it’s nagging presence constantly reminds me of the excess body weight that I’m lugging around.

As much as I don’t shame my present state, I’m not happy with it and it’s consequences healthwise, thus, I’m am seriously thankful that the excess is finally responding to stimuli. My hope is to stay on course and that it continues to go downwards till I get to my appropriate BMI for the sake of my health.

However it may be, appreciate who you are at whatever stage you find yourself, never take it for granted even as you work to improve your state of being.

© Jacqueline Oby-Ikocha

If you wish to participate in a gratitude challenge, there are several gratitude/thankful platforms in the blogosphere that you can tune into and get your ithankful going on. I can’t express in words the enormity of Joy and fulfilment that comes from having a heart of gratitude. Please check out Maria’s blog,Colline’s blog and Bernadette’s for thankful/gratitude challenges.

---