Ao92, I hope you won't find me intrusive or patronising if I say that I'm a little bit awe-struck by your post?
You have struggled with a debilitating illness for 12 years, taken positive steps to change your situation, found a new & trusty friend (the dog, hurrah!) who you have made & are keeping a promise to, are managing to walk every day despite having been virtually agoraphobic for so many years, have lost a stone in a month, & today achieved the major step of braving public life at the beach.
These are all achievements to be proud of.
On top of that, I suspect you have done all this on your own? - as you do not mention support from partner or family. Have you any notion of how far you have come & how proud you should be of your progress?
I wish I had been dogwalking with you at the beach today. I could have told that family to shut up unless they fancied finding out what a fat lip felt like. That they needed to check themselves, 'cos their ignorance & spite was showing. (It's always easier to do stuff like this for a pal rather than for ourselves isn't it!?)
Yes, of course you should leave your note.
That family is unlikely to have the emotional intelligence or generosity of spirit to assess their own wrongdoing & change their behaviours, but I think the act of sticking up for yourself in this small way will do you good.
I suspect that because you heard these bloody rude & stupid remarks on today - of all days, the day you brave the world after 12 years - that the impact on you is higher than it needs to be. Please, don't allow that to give you any justification for scurrying back home to hide behind closed doors again. The more you walk, the fitter & happier you will become as you & your dog keep your daily promises to each other.
Oh! - didn't you know that the dog made a promise too?
The dog promised to remind you to keep walking every day, & to do as much as s/he can to keep your spirits high & your mental health managed. You focus on that dog, & getting out & about, & looking at how much s/he loves you no matter what bloody stupid cruel human idiots make noises with their mouth that upset the dog's owner.
Because that's all it is - noise from someone's mouth.
It is meaningless. They know nothing about you, your history, the medication that contributed to weight gain, the struggles you have endured & are overcoming ... these people mean jackshit to you. They are less than dogshit on your shoe. Leave your note, then wipe them out of your mind like you would wipe the shit off your shoe.
I can guarantee you that if we had met on the beach today during that encounter, I'd have felt nothing but disdain for that family, & reckoned that you would be far the more interesting party to talk to.
One dogwalk step at a time OP.
You could even keep a journal or photo record of the walks & new adventures you & dog are having together. A positive reminder of how well you are doing, & a fun way to remember how far you have come.
Congratulations on your continuing recovery Ao 