Celebrate differences, don’t shame them

Do we put too much into our looks?

Are people pressured to live by certain standards and look a certain way? I think we are.

They say we are our own worst critics. I think that is definitely true. And with summer now here, we are going to be tougher on ourselves.

When I was a teenager I was 5-foot-4 and weighed 90 pounds. I was tiny. I remember being in school and hearing people say rude things about me. Guys and girls. I couldn’t gain weight but I wanted to.

I could eat whatever I wanted. But I wasn’t happy being that skinny.

It’s kind of funny, because 90 pounds wasn’t common back then and now people want to weigh that little.

I wasn’t a healthy person. I had already been diagnosed with kidney disease and spent time taking prednisone, a steroid that is very hard on your body.

Now here I am, having had a kidney transplant just over a year ago, and yes, I have gained weight. I weigh 20 pounds more than I used to. 

My medications are partially responsible for my weight gain. Especially prednisone, which I will be on for the rest of my life. But I’m also gaining weight now because my body is actually working properly.

It’s been an adjustment. I’m not used to carrying extra weight. And it does change how you look and feel. If only we could get that extra weight to go to the right places.

I’m always so worried about what people are thinking of me. Are they judging me because I gained weight? Because I look different? 

Why do we do this? Why do we let what other people think of us affect us?

It all comes down to "Are you happy?"  

If you aren’t quite confident with your bodies, please remember this;

We are all different and that’s what makes life great. We all get to be different sizes and shapes. Unique. Special. 

It’s true, you have to love yourself.

Jennifer Laferriere is a community correspondent for Garden City.