I Know A Woman

I know a woman 

      Who hated her own reflection, 

      Who buried her emotions in food, 

          Who never felt pretty enough,  

          Skinny enough, 

          Good enough, 

Despite all of the positive aspects she possessed.  

 

I know a woman 

      Who shared infectious laughter, 

      Who was loved by many 

          Who never felt good enough,  

          Pretty enough,  

          Strong enough, 

Despite all of the encouragement she received. 

 

I know a woman  

      Who decided upon lap-band, 

      Who starved herself sick, 

          Who never felt skinny enough, 

          Worthy enough, 

          Empowered enough, 

Despite all of the natural beauty she portrayed. 

 

I know a woman 

      Who rapidly lost pounds, 

      Who obsessed over scale numbers, 

          Who never felt successful enough, 

          Capable enough, 

          Beautiful enough, 

Despite her weight-loss accomplishments. 

 

I know a woman 

      Who was unsatisfied, 

      Who buried her emotions in alcohol, 

          Who never felt worthy enough,  

          Uplifted enough,  

          Pretty enough, 

Despite all of the great qualities she had tucked away.  

 

I know a woman 

      Who found solace in bars, 

      Who craved adulterous attention, 

         Who never felt attractive enough,  

          Beautiful enough,  

          Interesting enough, 

Despite having transformed her appearance. 

 

I know a woman 

      Who was uncomfortable in her skin,  

      Who turned to plastic surgery, 

          Who never felt attractive enough,  

          Firm enough, 

          Smooth enough, 

Despite the extreme makeover she’d been granted. 

 

I know a woman 

      Who lost her sweet nature, 

      Who misplaced her social skills, 

           Who spoke only the language of diet, 

           Mixed drinks, 

          Weekend partying, 

Despite the fact that no one wanted to listen anymore. 

 

I know a woman 

      Who is skinny and unsatisfied, 

      Who lost the respect of friends, 

      Who wears a shell that’s slowly cracking 

      Who pretends to be happy, 

      Who buries her emotions in designer clothes, 

          Dirty martinis, 

          Flirtatious conduct, 

          Manipulative actions, 

          And obsessive behavior

Despite the fact that what she really needs…

 

Is to stop running and seek help.

 

This is dedicated to L, who transformed herself into an almost unrecognizable person, despite concern and encouragement from those who care, including myself.

It goes to show that even successful weight loss does not always equal happiness. Sometimes, the problems run much deeper than flesh. My prayer is that, someday, L will reach out and seek the assistance that she needs ~ and that others in  similar positions will do the same.