Erin's Wife,
Thank you so much for this thread, it is amazing. You've touched (and helped) so many people here by your raw honesty and your experiences. Thank you for putting into words a thread that I just know we'll be able to show to new GG members for months, if not years.
Today I went for a walk with a lady I know who I bumped into on a path (and her husband). I know she has been very dedicated for several years in weight loss and has lost over 75 pounds (net), what I didn't know before today is that five years ago she couldn't use the stairs in her own home due to her weight and joint problems... Today she hung back a bit where there were stairs in the trail so she could run up and down them three or four times. Between our walk and the walking she did as a volunteer at the cancer centre, she walked about 10k today! I'm mentioning her here because she totally impresses me with her determination, her ability to stick with it, and her refusal to give up on the days when it is far too tempting to do just that. Erin's wife, you impress me in the exact same way!
Also, for those of you CDers who want to know how to get your SO more accepting of your girl nature, I think Eryn's post below is pretty much a perfect example of how to go about it.
Honestly, I went, 'awe!' when I read this! I was even a little jealous of Mimi until I reminded myself that Crystal expresses this sentiment to me all the time. Making it obvious that you love and care about your partner - whether it be by posting something lovely and heartfelt where you know she'll probably read it, by hugging her every chance you get, or getting the dishes all done, the trash taken care of, and the laundry folded (or whatever other household tasks you and your wife/SO work out are best for you to do)... Making sure that just like you get time to dress, she gets time to do the things she wants to do outside or inside the house.. It is all the little things which add up to love and acceptance of the full person.