I knew it would happen. Still, I wasn’t prepared. I’ve spent a lot of my past in eating disorder treatment. When I agreed to this intensive outpatient program, I knew the chance of seeing someone from my past admissions was high. I was right; one of the IOP dietitians was a familiar face. “You had a good […]
The Not-So-Christmas Spirit
“I feel like I’m out of control. I have no way of channeling my emotions,” I said. “I was hoping your blog would help you do that,” replied my mother. “I can’t write about this. Not really. I have called myself The Realistic Optimist, but I am anything but optimistic right now. I’m drowning in darkness.” […]
Just Keep Showing Up
About a month ago, I was on the phone with a friend who I admire a great deal. Actually, I must say that I admire all of my friends in one way or another. Whether it’s for their strength, character, vulnerability, or sense of humor, each of my friends has at least one quality that […]
Why Crutches Still Stand By My Mirror
It’s been 2 months since I’ve needed them, but my crutches still stand by the full-length mirror in my bedroom. My daughter pointed them out to me the other day and asked why they were still there. I didn’t have a very good answer for that one. It wasn’t until later that I discovered there […]
“Someone Should Have Warned Her”
It was my first day of training and there I sat in our team meeting. The meeting had started late because I was late. I was in a car accident the day before and had to rent a car that morning. Not at all the way I had planned on starting my brand new job. […]
Stripped Away
Raw. Naked. Vulnerable. This is how I feel. Stretched to the max. Out of my comfort zone. At the breaking point. This is where I am. Crying. Laughing. Straining. This is what I do. In the past, I’ve written posts that draw the parallels between the lives of humans and rose bushes; I strongly believe that […]
When Frustration Gives Way to Blessings
I’ve been frustrated. Beyond frustrated at times. In the middle of the summer I decided to start taking my blog more seriously and switch to self-hosted WordPress. At the time I was using Squarespace for design and hosting; I had even purchased a custom domain name. I put a lot of time and energy into […]
We All Need Therapy
I spend a lot of time in my car these days and most of that time is spent driving to and from therapy. If you’ve read any of my previous blog posts, you’ve probably realized that I’m in desperate need of therapy. “What kind?” you may be asking. Well, there’s the obvious physical therapy for […]