Growing up with little to no self esteem, I struggled to accept the fact that I was ‘the chubby’ girl; I had gapped front teeth, chipmunk cheeks and an awkward body.  As I came into adulthood and my body had matured and I was starting to have some self confidence, the unthinkable happened…I began to lose my hair and was diagnosed with Alopecia, an autoimmune disease where, basically, your body attacks it’s own hair follicles.  This resulted in total baldness, all over (Alopecia Areata Univeralis)…imagine that!  At the same time, I continued to struggle with my weight going up and down constantly; yet, believe it or not, the weight bothered me more than being bald did. They make really good wigs but you really can’t cover up being fat.  After many years I have come to realize that either way I am beautiful, my husband tells me so, my family tells me so and my friends tell me, and I believe them now.  My eyes are what I love most and what I get most compliments on.

I have tried to focus on my health this year and have lost a significant amount of weight and have started running. WOW, I still have a hard time thinking that ‘I’m a runner’; I love it and I hope it loves me for many years to come.

As I continue to work on my ‘outer’ self in becoming more fit, I strive to be beautiful on the inside more than anything, because that is undoubtedly what makes a person truly beautiful.

Fat or Fit, with hair or without…I know am beautiful within as well as on the outside.