This was me, 3 years ago. I had not long prior promised a terminally ill friend that I would look after myself better. That I would eat cleanly and drink water. Lots of water. We can't always control if or when we get sick, but we can respect and prepare our body by treating it well, eating clean and excercising. I promised all this and more to someone that passed away just a week before this photo was taken.
And I gotta say, I truly thought I was healthy at that stage.
About 6 months after this, not long after one of our employees candidly told me that he totally counted me a generation older than himself – nothing like a wakeup call that the clock was ticking, I saw a photo of myself and freaked out. Not the I-see-a-spider-jump-back-shrieking kinda fright, more like the silent-stomach-sinking-oh-my-God-is-that-me kinda freak out. Most of us have been there, right?
It was my older brother's 40th birthday. I remember eating some garlic bread, the most glorious, butter dripping, crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside garlic bread, and thinking to myself, that's it. I'm done. I'm calling it quits. I'm going to find the healthy me. As much as I love you, garlic bread, you don't do me any favours. We are over.
And so I embarked on a journey of clean eating and becoming active. Not a diet. I'd dieted for 20 years. It hadn't done me any favours. I turned things around. I made myself a goal of being happy with my place in the world when I turned 40 years old. I decided I had a few years to do it and to make myself accountable I decided to make a "Celebrating 40" photoshoot something I'd do.
And so I did.
I'm 40 and pretty happy with my place in the world. I had the most amazing photographer from SweetP family photography spend time with me in the torrential rain at the railway station. She knew I love trains, we had the best time, despite being soaked, all makeup gone and my dress clinging to me. She still managed to make me laugh and act like someone half my age.
If anyone local ever wants a fab photographer, Andrea is amazing. Seriously.
I'm so glad I did it.
Here's to 40. And here's to staying healthy and motivated. And promises made.
Laters
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