The Morning After... the break

Here it comes again. That thing I see every January 3rd. It's when everyone gets back to work or school or whatever. You see this sheepish look in their eyes.This walk of shame. Not the one associated with coming home in rumpled clothes after a one night stand. No, this look is the one associated with coming back to work in suddenly tight clothes after a two week eating binge. Yeah.That look.You readily accepted the invitation .You knew where things were going when you got to the table. You knew things might get out of hand but the temptation was too great.You were willing to take that chance for one morsel of pleasure. You were already seduced when you walked in. The way it all looked, the smell, the music in the background, the Holiday lighting. Easy to lose yourself and get a little crazy.Who wouldn't? How could you be expected to have self control when you were so close, practically touching, close enough to nibble... bite... then finally in a complete loss of will and inhibitions devour everything before you? Moaning and grunting with each taste of sweet, delicious, tantalizing love. You told yourself  that would be it but then you craved more and more and MORE! Guilt mixed with dizzying delight and soon you were hot and sweaty and loosening your clothes. It was time for... desert. When it was over, all you wanted to do was sleep.Was this you or anyone you know? HELLO? How about everyone? We all do it on some level. In our Dance With Me classes Billy and I tell our students to chill out and not freak over the holidays. There is enough to be stressed about in life. The holidays are supposed to be fun and wonderful and a little crazy. There is food! Tons of it! Everywhere! Whatever you took in has to be burned off and you can do that as soon as you stop beating yourself over the head about it. You don't have time for that anymore. Let's not do that in 2011. Moderation is crucial when it comes eating no matter time of year it is. But if you did overdo it, then get busy and match it with your favorite form of exercise. If you don't have a fave yet, I'd like to recommend dancing.Lots of it! Big surprise there... NOT! Perhaps a DVD that motivates you to get Cardio Fit or teaches you to Groove and Burn the pounds away! Okay stop me. Please. Really. I'm scaring myself. So here's the deal... If you are one of the thousands doing that walk of shame today, don't rush out to get your Julia Roberts Eat, Pray, Love big girl pants just yet (If you saw the movie you know the reference). Get moving! Get going! Get me away from my computer before I shamelessly promote again!

The Mommy Hug

I was deeply saddened to learn of the death of Elizabeth Edwards. I don't know if I was already in need of a good cry or what  but after reading several stories about how she chose to prepare her three remaining children (two of them are under thirteen, one grown) for her inevitable good bye, I found myself running to the bathroom in desperate need of tissue. I'm still emotional as I write this. She prepared them. As best she could. To her satisfaction. Then she could go. We know as mothers the plan is to live long, but not longer than your children. That's unthinkable. And so while I know she wanted more time, like any good mommy if given the choice, she would rather her children live on. She had a son who died at sixteen (unthinkable) and she called him an angel and was comforted by the thought of being reunited in Heaven with him. My thoughts went to my own feelings about being a mom. How could they not? I thought about something I now had that only my son could have given me. The Mommy hug. It's the hug I give my child every day several times a day. Oh, I always gave warm hugs. I come from a huggy family. But the way I hug now is... I realize that I hug my child with all my soul. My prayers. My hopes and dreams for him. Each time. Subconsciously I want to reassure him that if God forbid, something happened to me and it was my last hug, he would know how very much I love him and that I know how much he loves me.That it's going to be alright. He would know that being a mother is the greatest gift God gave me in a lifetime full of great gifts. He would feel how much I pray to God for his safety and his extreme happiness. He would know that with every fiber of my being I know he is going to rock the Universe the way he rocks my world! He will never have to wonder if he hugged me tight enough. In fact he will know that he gave me the Mommy Hug. A hug so jam packed with love, that when talking to his grandchildren or great-grands, he would be able to recall with perfect sense memory what my hugs felt like. I can imagine Elizabeth poured her soul into each and every hug. And although it could never take the pain of losing her away, those children don't have to wonder about the most important things ... the love between them. I totally get why my own Sweet Mommy's hugs are so comforting to me. Her hugs turn me into an instant four year old and I want to just curl up on the sofa and wait for her to make me a grilled baloney and cheese sandwich (even though I'm a veggie) with the crust cut off and a cup of hot chocolate to dunk it in! I'm smiling because my brother and I gave her that hug. The Mommy Hug.The cool thing is, when I meet new people or when I greet those I already know, all of my squeezes seem to be wrapped in this maternal blanket. So here's the deal ... every story about Elizabeth had the predictable paragraphs dedicated to the retelling of the non cancer related drama she went through these last few years of her life. What stood out online and on TV without exception was her love for her children. Because that is ultimately what matters. Go on. I know what you're going to do. I'm going to do the same thing right now. Elijah just woke up from his nap. Hug time.

Things to do... when you don't have the time!

My mornings are always rushed and hectic,which I know you can all relate to. So as I sit here blogging while putting on lipstick and running back and fourth to the kitchen to make breakfast for my guys (I should have been fully dressed a half hour ago), I remind myself of something. Don't forget to breathe deeply, don't forget your lip gloss and travel size hand lotion (running late is no excuse for dry and ashy parts) , and most important don't forget to say thank you. I choose to say thank you to God for all of my blessings. Starting off my day with gratitude instead of attitude helps me make a much needed adjustment before I let stress get the best of me.There is always something to be thankful for. So here's the deal... if you're reading this now and it's almost 8 AM, you're probably late.Go on, get outta here! Hurry! But don't forget to say thank you first.