The Pity Party

Thanks to Suzanne for sending me this comic in an email. It came at just the right time.

I think it's time to admit that this week has been a big pity party for me, thrown by myself, for myself.  

My freak-out session about the home video of me in my teenage years caused some of you to feel like I must think you are "obese." Let me just say that I was trying to describe how I felt about my body when I was a teenager. Whether I should be considered overweight or not was not the issue. My self-image was the biggest problem, not the number on the scales. Furthermore, I do not consider--nor ever have considered--any of my friends or family too large. I don't pay a lot of attention to what people wear or their dress size. How much you do or don't weigh doesn't mean anything to me--your actions do. Fortunately, I've been blessed with friends and family of integrity, intelligence, and extreme kindness. And so you are all beautiful to me.  

Perhaps you are thinking this is a bunch of hooey coming from a person who just the other day got all emotional over her fifteen year-old self. "Someone call a waaahhm-bulance, Susan's sad about her body again," you might say. And you'd be justified in doing so. It's time I shut up about this. Maybe I'm like the woman in the comic who sees a giant behind where there is none (although I wouldn't mind a distorted breast image of myself, weighted on the plus size). Maybe, in comparison to some, I should not be complaining about anything. But here's the thing: along with finding my perfect career, food and weight are also my life issues. I suppose you've already guessed this by now.

So here's an idea. Maybe I should stop trying to be perfect and spend more time enjoying myself. Maybe food is just food, not an "issue" and not a mortal enemy. It's occurred to me that it's not really the end of the world if I eat a piece of cake once in a while, as long as it's not an every day thing. I may fall off my healthy eating habits bandwagon quite often, but I know how to get back on. It's like my niece says, "I'd rather live in moderation than deprivation (especially in terms of food)." I second that motion. 

Thanks for reading. No need to call the Waahm-bulance. Susan's Pity Party is officially over. 

Comments

[Julie B.]

What! You're not supposed to eat cake every day? I thought cake was one of the food groups.
I seem to be a slave to sugar lately. I figure I could be hit by a bus tomorrow and I would hate to go to heaven thinking, "I wish I would have had that donut (or whatever) :)
Anyway, I sure do love you lots! Since the day you were born you have been a beautiful girl - inside AND out!