1. Because of Madeleine, who in the 5th grade, and after my first diet, said I looked “almost normal.”2. Because of that boyfriend, the one who liked me just the way I was until I lost 5 lbs. “How much more could you lose, do you think?” He said, hungrily.
3. Because of my family, who still teases me for being a bad cook because I used to burn toast when I was nine. HAHAHA, they say, DON’T LET HER NEAR THE KITCHEN.
4. Because of my ex-husband, whose constant “advice” about how to do everything, from cutting an onion to making a roux, turned me off of good food for years. But he doesn’t live here now, so I cut the onions however I damn well please.
5. Because of all that time I spent eating out of cans and paper boxes and fast food bags, because I didn’t think it was worth making an actual meal for just me. The pictures are a reminder that the effort IS the worth.