I was going to title this post ‘It's all About that Shirt' but I think the internet is just slap tired of the ‘It's all About …' references.  Not to say that I'm tired of them or of the song It's all About that Bass.  I LOVE that song!  It makes me laugh… 'cause I ain't no size two, either.  Not really sure that I can Shake it, Shake it.

But back to the shirt.

It's just a chevron top.  Nothing special — unless you factor in the vertical chevron striping — and I love a vertical stripe!

The only special thing about this top is it is the very first thing I bought when I decided to have weight loss surgery.  I ordered it back in January of 2014 — two months before surgery was scheduled.  It was to be the item that I would wear once I lost my weight — my inspiration piece.  My goal.  My something special.  When the box arrived I rushed to open it and out came this adorable black and white top.  I loved it from the moment I saw it online, but the reality of it was even better.   BUT it was way too small.  Certainly, I knew it would be too small.  After all it was the top that I hoped to one day fit in…. but after looking at it I thought “NO WAY!  This will NEVER fit me.  EVER.  Why did I order a medium?  Why not a large? and WHY oh WHY are the sleeves so tiny?”  I hung it in the closet and tried to forget it existed.

Surgery came and went.  My weight dropped.  My clothing size dropped.  But I still couldn't fit into the ‘inspiration' top.  It just hung in the closet with it's SUPER Skinny sleeves (who are these SUPER SKINNY armed people who wear these tops?) and seemed to mock me.

I went on with life — I worked, laughed, loved my family.  Worshipped God.  Served in my church. Released a bible study (with my two DEAREST friends, Melinda and Karen).  Life marched on.  And you know what happened?  I just didn't care about that inspiration shirt.  I bought it as a symbol of what I wanted to achieve — but my life is about more than just a goal or a number or a scale or a top with skinny sleeves.

Life is about the God you serve.  Life is about the people you love and about the time you spend with them.  I decided to LIVE life and guess what?  I finally fit into that inspiration top — but those sleeves are just too tight, still!

So I encourage — embrace the adventure of this life.  Love people.  Love God.  Laugh.  Have fun. Let a life well-lived be your inspiration… not a skinny sleeved chevron top!