I promise myself, when I look at these shoes, that I will wear these out. It's not a goal, it's a promise, like pinkie swears with Siren about ice cream and The Little Einsteins, and I keep my promises. It's not enough that I drop a dress size or fill out my jeans a little leaner than I did a year before. My promise is different. I will wear these shoes out, and I will do it by next Mother's Day, by getting healthier for my children.
For those who know me personally, you know that while I was carrying Echo, I developed gallstones and had to change my eating habits. A year later, I still have to watch what I eat closely, and that has helped me drop a few pounds already, but I'm not what I consider to be healthy. I can't run full on after the girls. I get winded easily, and I break a sweat with minimal effort. So, it's time to make some changes.
But, I'm going to do it a bit differently. I'm going to take time, everyday, for myself. As caregivers, especially mom caregivers, we often get lost in our roles and jobs and forget about ourselves, and don't realize we're in the slump until someone gives us the look that asks without words 'are you wearing the same sweatpants I saw you in three days ago?'. I know that look, and thank you Mr. Judgemental Mailman for making me familiar with it. And honestly, it's not just the mailman who's noticed, which leads to the realization that things have got to change.
So, everyday for next year, I'm carving out 'me time' by taking a few minutes every day to work out, write, create, pamper, laugh, cry, something specifically for me. And these shoes, these simple white sneakers that I'm proud to have this Mother's Day. They are my inspiration to get my backside in gear, like my daughters are my inspiration to get healthy, something to hold me accountable when all I want to do is hold down one end of the couch. I couldn't have asked for a better gift than that.
Happy Mother's Day!
No comments:
Post a Comment