Oh Jay, thank you for this nuanced and heartfelt response! I know exactly what you mean. Publicly, most people preach a message of all-inclusive love and acceptance, but in real life, people tend to operate on superficial judgements far too often. Far, far too often. And it's extremely disheartening when you don't fit conventional ideas of beauty.

I am so glad you like yourself, and I understand why you get angry. It would make me angry, too, and there have been many times in my own life when I was treated as disposable by people who couldn't see my inherent value. It's sad and infuriating.

Keep on loving yourself, Jay. The stuff on the outside - having a belly, being short - that stuff doesn't matter. What's in your heart matters, and clearly, you are a person full of love and depth and, yes, empathy. Thank you for choosing that path.