These are my very favorite denim shorts, converted from Lucky Brand jeans after years of wear. They have ZERO STRETCH and that’s how I like my cut-offs (stretchy shorts stick to your thighs and my gams need room to move!).
Some years they’d fit just right and some years they hung off my hips. But they were never too small. And then one year they were. And somehow I knew, they’d never fit again.
But that doesn’t mean I’m not going to miss these shorts. They’ve taken me on so many summer adventures. They’ve been in my life since 2003! And then there’s grappling with the fact that even though my body is happy and healthy, society has made it clear as day that I am not, under any circumstances, supposed to put on weight (as I sit here snacking on potato chips and mango slices).
But keeping the shorts, that’s a choice I get to talk through with you. I kept them at first because, you know, bodies change. It happens throughout the day, the month, the year. Sometimes we’re larger; sometimes we’re smaller. But for me, there came a point when I knew I wasn’t going back to the body that was there when I was younger. When my hormones did different things. When I wasn’t as healthy.
So, it’s time for the shorts and my denial to go.
Y’all, we’ve got to get away from this notion that skinnier = better. Skinny is beautiful, but so is everything else. It’s interesting the ways people talk to me about their weight, saying things like, “when I get my thyroid under control,” or “I just need to shave off 5 lbs and I’ll be happy,” or “I’ve had a gym membership for years, but I promise I’m going to start going.” Not that these things couldn’t be true (although I’ll argue with you about 5 lbs = happiness). But they aren’t what’s true right now. And right now is what we’ve got.
Take a look around. Right now is the moment you can see, hear, smell. And it’s precious because it’s the present.
So here’s your homework:
You’re allowed to keep three items in your closet you “might fit into one day.” After that it just becomes clutter and the clothes start to torture you. If you can’t let everything go, box it up. Put them away for now and let your closet be full of only what serves you today. Because again, today is what you’ve got.
And if you need help, use my free self-guided Closet Inventory to walk you through cleaning out your closet!