Dear Anonymous: Thank You

Body Image

Today marks one year since my “Am I Too Fat?” post.
Dear Anonymous,
Not a day goes by that I don’t think about you. I wonder if I know you or if you truly were some anonymous troll out there. I wonder if you ever read my response to you, if you’re still following my blog, if you’ve seen how I’ve grown in the past year. I still have your email buried at the bottom of my inbox.
Today I want to say thank you. I am thankful for the opportunity that you, Anonymous, gave me. Now, I don’t condone the type of cowardice it takes to anonymously email someone nor do I condone the type of malice it takes to send such words, but it happened. In that moment I had three options: (1) to respond with similar malice, (2) to not respond, or (3) to respond with grace.
I responded to your email with, what I hope was, grace. I quickly resolved to not let your bullying stand or discourage me. Instead, I allowed it to empower me and it gave me strength I never knew I had. Your email gave me the opportunity to stand up for myself, find my voice as a blogger (a plus size one at that), and be a voice for those women (and men) who aren’t able to stand up for themselves.
My response to you is still my most read and I’m frequently asked, “You’re the one who was called fat and responded publicly, right? I read your blog and love it!” It’s still the post I’m most proud of and to this day I still receive comments and emails from readers telling me that I’ve inspired them.
You gave me a voice and gave me the opportunity to stand up for myself, and curvy gals everywhere. You allowed me to see that I really am proud of the woman I’ve become and that I am fine with, in fact LOVE, the size and shape I am.
Thank you for showing me that I have a voice that I’m not afraid to use, to stand up for myself and for others. And in case you’re wondering how my journey is going, there are photos below to show the progress I’ve made from 2011-2013 on my weight loss journey.
Sincerely,
Kate
Kate 2011-2013
Kate full body 2011-2013