Blogger's Response to Online Bully Sets Record Straight
She was called an "old hag," but has so much to be thankful for.
— -- When a commenter called Rachel Farnsworth an "old hag" because of a few grey hairs, the woman behind the popular The Stay-At-Home Chef blog crafted the perfect response.
In the three-minute video above, Farnsworth explains that although she usually sticks to recipes, she wanted to address the comment publicly. Farnsworth has a rare autoimmune disease that will likely prevent her from reaching old age.
"The signs of aging that I have," she said in the video, "are a reminder that I'm still alive."
Because of her disease, "I don't have time to waste criticizing myself and I don't have time to waste criticizing other people."
The 31-year-old mom of two from Salt Lake City told ABC News that the response to her video -- which has been viewed 4 million times since she posted it to Facebook last week -- has her in "total shock."
"The reaction to the video is overwhelmingly positive," Farnsworth said. "Out of the thousands and thousands of comments, emails and messages, I think there have been only five or six negative responses. I am overwhelmed and humbled by the response."
In the video, Farnsworth explains that she was also born with a genetic jaw deformity.
The teasing from other kids, she said, "completely broke" her. She had to wait until she stopped growing to get it fixed and Farnsworth thought when she got the surgery, she would finally be happy. But she goes on to explain in the video that, after the excitement of the surgery and its results had worn off, she was, "the same person I had always been."
It has taken a decade of hard work, she said, to change the way she feels about herself.
When she first read the comment, she told ABC News, her response was a "long and deep eye-roll and asking myself why women feel the need to shame other women. I responded immediately because I'm just tired of that happening."
Despite the flaws, she told ABC News, "My health always fluctuates, but I am able to live, what I feel, is a full and complete life. It may not be 'normal' by most standards, but it's a fantastic little life and I'm grateful for every day."
The takeaway of her video: "The world needs more people who will build each other up than tear each other down."
