The article began like this:
"My boyfriend Ali is 5'10" with friendly blue eyes, a dimpled smile and a fit, muscular body. He's someone you'd expect to see with a really hot, thin woman...not an overweight girl like me."
Right away, my heart filled with a combination of warmth, admiration and empathy.
Gloria and her boyfriend, Ali, fell in love after meeting online. They live on different continents but have made it work with Skype and visits and soon, he is joining her in California to pursue both their relationship and his education.
They are both adorable and all smiles in every photo.
"He makes me feel like I'm good enough all of the time."
Isn't that the loveliest sentiment?
It's an interesting match to be sure. For me, being a big girl, I always worry about the guy I'm gonna meet from online -- what if he's scrawny? What if he's short? What if he takes one look at me and runs away?
Well, as for the last guy - eff him. That guy isn't for me anyway.
But if he's short or scrawny, I probably won't be attracted to him. That's just not my type. Even at my thinnest it was not my type. I always joke that I don't want to be with a guy I worry about breaking in half. Part of that is derived from insecurity. What would people think if they saw me out with a guy like that? But part of it is just truth. It is how I've come to feel.
And then there was this article today from Ali, Gloria's boyfriend. A lot of love and support in the feedback from Gloria's initial piece but also this nonsense:
"...the negative comments started piling up: 'She is a pig.' '[Together] They look like a number 10"' and 'I guess her guy is into BBWs-Big, beached whales.'"
Don't worry - this story has a happy ending. But my god, what is wrong with people?
Think what you will about this supposed mismatch but there is no need to be cruel. If you don't have something nice to say... I mean, are we not all human being struggling with something in our own lives without adding to the struggles of others?
So while Gloria and Ali seem to be doing just fine, not allowing the prejudices of others to interfere in their relationship and steadfast in their loyalty to one another, I just wanted to say "good for you" to them both. I wish them love, happiness and all of that. I think their story is a modern day fairy tale and I hope a lot of people read it and learn something about themselves in doing so.
