Drawing 123 ~ was not supposed to be public; drawn while eating late last night (even though I promised myself not to eat at night) and after eating chocolate cake at my in-laws(even though I promised myself not to eat cake)

“IF MY YOUNGER SELF COULD SEE  ME NOW” blared through my brain while reviewing the photographs from my gradeschool friend’s 60th birthday party … so I drew myself to GET REAL.
Get real with the double chin, rolls of fat and unworked muscles..
Get real with my family history of heart attacks and diabetes.

Then I packed that away and tried finding the perfect image to draw for my blog- Jo and Terry playing guitar? Dad looking out over the water? The tree I photographed?

So NO..this is the drawing I drew...and this is the body I have now and now I am authentically choosing to post it and to deal with myself in a loving and powerful way.
Note;  See below for some of the follow-on conversations that came about after

 “I used to be a life model for drawing classes. Sometimes I think about doing that again! and then I think about all the reasons that I “should” not. “

” I feel i should lose another 10 pounds and then worry what other people will say because I am not that overweight”

” The face – you did not draw your beautiful face and it made me think that that is how you saw yourself! …you didn’t draw your beautiful eyes – youthful skin – that beautiful smile of yours – the hair that we all envied and many still envy for it’s health, thickness and shine. You don’t even look like a Hartel in that picture….. that’s one item…”


“The body – we’re 60 hon… we are a slave to no one any more… hair dressers, bosses, opinions, the Jones’es…. okay, we’re still slaves to our kids LOL. We are 60 – none of us look good in a bikini anymore! We bred children, we’ve lived for 6 decades! We have the luck of either rolls, cottage cheese, or hanging skin. I am thankful I have a spouse who loves me for more than my body LOL. ”