Partner Line Dancing with a Smaller Friend, Felt Accepted

I am very definitely plus sized. I have been for my entire adult life.

My friends and I have been going line dancing once a week for the past few months. Last time we went, we were taught a partner dance. One of my friends and I immediately partnered together and she indicated her intention to be the 'lead'.

As a bigger person, I'm used to not being chosen or to being assumed that if I am, I will lead. So for my (very thin & conventionally attractive) friend to pick me immediately, it felt good. Plus once the dance was demoed, and it was clear that the expectation was for her to hold me in her arms, and we'd dance closely together, I was waiting for her to switch but she didn't.

I even asked if she wanted to swap roles or partners and she said no. We did the whole dance together, with me in the 'follower' role, spinning into my friend's arms and dancing together. I didn't realize how much it meant to me until I went home and had a little bit of a cry. The idea that she didn't expect anything based on my size, and that she was comfortable holding me close and dancing together, was really lovely.

I'm usually ready for the worst judgments from others so it really caught me off guard how much this meant to me.

I actually thanked her for it tonight and she asked me to promise her not to thank her for the bare minimum. It was just really sweet and I wanted to share here, with people who might also get it.