Last day of May! And it was another long work day. But I met some friends after work to celebrate our friend’s birthday. They all texted earlier in the day that they had things to do this evening, so wouldn’t be drinking anything other than iced tea or something. That lasted about a minute after they arrived. We shared appetizers and wine and had a lovely time. A lady at a nearby table offered to take our picture, which was sweet.

Of course, all I could see at first was how chubby I look. Maybe it’s how I was standing. Maybe it’s my outfit. Or maybe, I realized, I’m just chubby right now. I’m certainly heavier than I’ve ever been in my life. But then I focused on our faces—and look how happy we are. We enjoyed our time together.

I know my body has changed in the last few years and will change again after my upcoming surgery. But I’ll be at a spot soon where I can focus on getting back into shape and being healthier. In the meantime, I’m going to try to stop judging myself all the time. And I’m grateful for friendship and having fun over good food and wine.