Greetings, friends.
It’s good to know you’re still around after yesterday’s intense
lesson. Today I thought it prudent to
adopt a lighter tone so today we will talk about joy.
There’s an expression we’ve all heard over and over again to
‘Never let anyone steal your joy.’ That
is so, so true. It’s definitely a mantra
I have to repeat in my head daily if not hourly. All too often we plus-size people fall into
the trap of letting other people steal our joy.
For example, you could be having the most amazing day at the beach, but
let just one teenage douchebag make a “beached whale” comment and the party is
over. Fold up the chairs, grab your
towel, we’re out of here.
But why? Weren’t you
having fun? Did you build a sand
castle? You can’t leave without building
a sand castle! Sand castles are one of
the two funnest architectural structures to create (the other being blanket
forts). Then there are always shells to
collect, and waves to play in. There’s
boogie boarding and surfing if you have any shred of balance or agility (which
I do not). So, why are you leaving? Oh right.
Because the douchebag said you were fat.
The guy that you will never, ever, not in a million years ever see or
hear from again. It reminds me of a
lesson that my dad taught me a long time ago about life in general. He said, “Your success or failure in life
will depend on your ability to deal with a**holes.” When you suffer from low self-esteem,
regardless of whether it stems from body issues or something else, it can be
very hard to find yourself in a positive situation where you feel happy and
fulfilled. So, for those fleeting
moments that you DO feel joy, don’t waste it! ESPECIALLY on a**holes.
Now, as important as it is to protect your joy and never let
anyone steal it, it’s not the whole story.
The crucial part that always gets left off of that life lesson is, ‘Do
not expect anyone to create your joy.’
It’s just like how the Declaration of Independence endows the right to
the PURSUIT of happiness, not happiness itself.
I missed out on so much of my life sitting in my room waiting for others
to come to me. I waited patiently for
someone to invite me to live. I did
manage to do SOME living. I’ve had
slumber parties, went trick-or-treating, visited the beach, even went horseback
riding in the Appalachian Mountains. Those
moments of joy are mine to keep forever.
But they were fleeting. I listen
to people talk about their crazy exploits during high school and college and
feel like I really missed out. They all
had so much fun together! They had fun
while I waited patiently for someone to invite me to live.
Now I’m a grownup.
The days of impetuousness have passed me by. Now we all have jobs, spouses, kids, responsibilities. We schedule in coffee around Little League
games and dance recitals. We promise to
have dinner as soon as I’m back from my next business trip. Most of our conversations end with, “We
should get together sometime!” But then
we never do. We mean to. We truly want that time to connect. We might even pencil it in on the calendar. But then that day rolls around and the dog goes
missing, and Mikey comes down with the chicken pox, and your boss needs you to
put in some extra hours on the Feldman case.
Next thing you know, that window you created for joy flies away, not to
be seen again for another hundred years. It’s
Just. Not. Fair.
I have a friend who is a relatively new mom. Her world currently revolves around identifying
which part of her baby is leaking fluids and plugging the leak. Then there’s me. I have my own child. He just happens to be 68 and named Dad, but
he’s every bit the challenge for me that the infant is for my friend. Despite the roadblocks, we are making an
effort to be there for each other more. Believe
me when I tell you, it feels pretty damn good spending time with her. Being with girlfriends heals you in a way
other relationships won’t. You feel
stronger, prettier, and more capable just because you spent time with
them. So hire a babysitter (or force dad
to be alone with the kids for once), call in sick to work, and go see your girlfriend. Create a moment of joy for yourself and don’t
let anyone take it away from you. Not
even yourself.
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