When I was a little girl and dreamed of what an amazing Daddy would look like – the kind of man I wanted to marry – I wasn’t sure of all the attributes to include. Funny, sweet, caring, intelligent, handsome.
You’re all of those and more.
So for Valentine’s Day this year I wanted to give you more than the cologne you missed from Christmas. Here’s my gift from the heart:
lyrics of: “Let’s Stay Together” by Al Green
And for a stroll down memory lane… I just came across this Valentine to you from 3 years ago:
I’ve always had an affinity for gymnastics. My theory is it’s because it is one of the few sports where being short & petite is actually an advantage, and at not-quite-5ft I fit the prototype…. well, save for the bra size.
In fact, when my dad moved us up to Oregon by him when I was nine (it’s a complicatedstory), one of the first things I asked for was a membership to SuperKids Gymnastics. I’d been bugging my mom for years and would prance around in a leotard but my mom just couldn’t afford it.
I had big dreams. I mean, BIG. Like, Olympics B-I-G.
Alas…. what I found was that the 5 year olds were miles ahead of me and after only a year of weekly group lessons I quit and focused on sports I was more competitive in.
For a very brief time I tried starting again. But when I tried out in 8th grade and they placed me with a bunch of 3rd graders I gave it up for what I thought was the last time.
Until last week, when I found out Turner Hall offers adult gymnastics classes. *insert hallelujah chorus*
Okay… so clearly I’ll never be competitive in any sense of the word but I really love the feeling of flip-flopping around on cushy mats and attempting to fly through the air on the bars. And, although it’ll be awhile before I can even pull myself around a bar without support I am so excited at the possibility of having fun while exercising again.
I was thisclose to letting my fear and self-consciousness keep me from joining, but I didn’t. And if I were in therapy I’m pretty sure they’d call that a breakthrough.
Truthfully, I even surprised myself with what I could do:
A cartwheel, a round-off, a handstand (plus forward roll), a front handspring… and with a bit of assistance I even landed a few backflips.
From now on I will refer to myself as a gymnast. Ohhhh yeah. I can see my inner eight year old beaming with pride.
Sore doesn’t begin to describe how I’ve felt the last couple of days but it’s a great feeling to hurt this much and still want to go back for more. I’d like to believe that with some hard work I could do the splits (!!!) and a few beam tricks (!!!) again.
Thanks to FitMilwaukee and Tracy for inspiring me to push myself and try new things. :)
My good friend Michelle (also @eatingjourney) was the catalyst of my own weight loss. We went to high school together and I was shocked by her picture when we reconnected on Facebook in 2005 – I hadn’t seen her in several years and had no idea that she was practically half the person she had been.
I was depressed and at an emotional rock bottom over my continued failure. I had tried pills and plans… yet, I kept finding fast food wrappers piling up in the back seat of my car.
So, in desperation I sent her a message asking for some words of wisdom. What she shared was not a quick fix or magical cure, but a story of determination.
I’m not exaggerating at all when I say this: until I saw her photo I didn’t believe I could do it.
She gave me an injection of hope.
Suddenly the impossible was possible. The realization that I could unravel the layers of fat and find my true self was breathtaking.
She has struggled with self-image (like basically every.woman.I.know) but has fought back by exposing herself and finding that happiness is not found in achieving a specific number, but that living healthy and eating mindfully is a choice we can make anew each morning.
In case you can’t tell, I adore Michelle. In many ways I owe so much of my life to her.
Not because she lost a bunch of weight though.
Because she is truly kind.
And I love that she’s a fighter. Who is beautiful. And inspirational. And is on a mission to let women know it’s okay to love your body.
I’m a fan of Weight Watchers because it helped me drop nearly 70lbs back in grad school – I’m now back on the wagon to lose the last few pounds gained during my pregnancy. After my initial success they hired me to produce content which gets hosted in places like their Facebook page.
On the rare occasion I accept payment to review a product, know that it’ll always be noted in its associated post, and for better or worse, the review will reflect my honest opinion.
Our wedding day.
