A Toast To Who?

A Toast! A Toast to me! Okay, before you get upset that I have become too vain..let me explain a bit. Today was the third day I spent in my studio painting a portrait. I have not painted anything since my weight loss surgery. I was so involved with my "new life" that painting, a real passion of mine took a back seat for two years. And it did not bother me in the least, I granted myself permission to NOT PAINT if I did not want to. One day, a few weeks ago, I started to get the "itch" to paint again. I had completely turned my studio into a store room, so: I cleaned it out and reclaimed it.
Here's where I get to toast myself: I always wanted to be a painter. I talked myself out of it since childhood as a flight of fancy. At 38, I actually learned how to paint and started classes. I was elated. I was a near 300 pound woman with no real joy in her life, and painting became my solace. Then fast forward to two years ago, my weight loss surgery changed everything. I became so much more than I allowed myself to be at 300 lbs. I gave myself permission to try everything. Painting was great, but my journey was "big enough" so I allowed myself a sabatical from painting.

So, today--here I am home alone.. and enjoying it. Painting all day in my studio, then I jumped in my hot tub and sat there with a drink and toasted myself. Here I was, painting a portrait, sitting in a hot tub (in a bikini no less), and most of all --happy. Wow. What a difference two years can make! I am a bikini-wearing-hot-tub-enjoying-portrait-painting thin woman. HELLO? When did that happen?? LOL.

Cheers!