I just finished a book where the main character has a series of horrible things happen to her in her life.  To cope, she becomes angry and fat.

There were many times the book became very hard to read because of her size and mood,  It was a little too close to personal for comfort.

I think the turning point for me was when her lover proposed to her and she refused saying she didn't believe in happily ever after.  He responded with, " I ain't offering you happily-ever-after.  I'm offering you...happily-maybe-someties-ever-after.  Sort of.  You know, with warts and shit."

When I first read that, I cried.  Rereading it, I cry.  Because the truth is in there, in all its simplicity.  Life will never be a walk in the park free and easy 24 hour a day piece of cake.  But when you are willing to accept that truth, you discover there is a lot of happiness hanging around the edges just waiting to get snapped up.

And sometimes you find it under warts.  You just have to be willing to look.