When Elizabeth Edwards married John Edwards in 1977, she had but one request for her husband… that he be faithful to her. This was paramount to Elizabeth from day one. Unfortunately, we all know the outcome. I can only imagine her struggle living life on the fence with whether to stay or leave once she learned of his infidelities. She has recently documented some of those feelings in a new book, “Resilience.”
Ladies, I just had to address the subject of in laws for all my girlfriends in Montreal. The stories, the laughs, the tears, it’s all very… well… amusing. I can’t tell you how many of my friends love to vent about their in laws!
It sort of goes something like this… “My mother in law is planning my whole life, and I want to tell her to back off… My father in law gave my child a hamburger when I clearly told him we’re VEGETARIANS… My mother in law is suffocating me…” And the stories go on and on.
I often hear, “I look like sh*t… I feel like sh*t… I need to lose 10 pounds… I’m too short… My thighs are too big… My skin looks old… I”m sagging…” and the list goes on and on. We are very hard on ourselves. Who can blame us? All you have to do is open any magazine… you see what you’re “supposed” to look like. An airbrushed, anorexic, body focused, diet and exercise obsessed individual. Sweethearts, you’re never gonna win that battle. Kelly Ripa, Madonna, and Gwyneth’s bodies are their careers. They have unlimited budgets to spend on custom designed organic meals brought to them three times a day. A trainer 7 days a week. A masseuse. An accupuncturist. A yoga guru. A spiritual adviser. A beautician on call 24/7. And the list goes go on and on.
So, you’ve finished years of schooling, graduated with top honors, you’re making a nice salary, you have a few beautiful kids, and things couldn’t be better… right? WRONG. You are overworked, overstressed, and are lacking some serious alone time.The “fine balance theory” of women being able to juggle a career, a home, a husband, and happiness is a very ancient concept. However, the issues arising for young working women today couldn’t be more modern. It is virtually impossible to have a one-income household today. If you want to be able to give your children what your baby-booming parents gave you… private school, camps, cars and comforts, you’d better be working. So, going to work becomes less of a luxury and more of a necessity. And I don’t mean to afford that bigger house or that fancy car… I mean diapers, formula, nursery, groceries… everyday living expenses
But all back to the point of this blog. Experts do say that for a woman to stay mentally happy and healthy, everyone needs personal time– time just for themselves. I know this. If I go too long without a girls night out, a fast getaway with my hubby, or even a long walk alone, I start to LOSE IT! I mean lose it. I do.
The truth is for many, sleep deprivation is a major issue. We all know how it feels when you’re lying awake in bed trying to fall asleep, and your mind is racing. Thoughts are coming from everywhere, and although your body is lying quite still, your mind is running an iron man marathon. It’s almost as if you’re thinking 100 times faster at night than you do during the day.
If there is one daily question in our house that is sure to get me aggravated, it’s “What’s for dinner?” This is because dinnertime has been, and continues to be a thing of frustration for me. Just the sound of the question drives me bananas. Trying to accommodate the nutritional needs and eating preferences of 4 different people.
So the picture at the very top of Clijsters is what truly brings tears to my eyes. Trophy in one hand, young daughter in the other. A picture which slightly resembles “a woman having it all.” What a moment. Kim Clijsters is not only the 2009 US Open Tennis Champion, she is every woman’s champion! And, in the words of my father, “one classy broad!”
Oh, this is one of my favorite topics! Men. Women. Relationships. Marriage. I have a lot to say about this topic, so grab your coffee… this is gonna be a longie. Considering our divorce rate is something like 50-60%, it’s not a crazy question to ask if men and women really get along.
My entire life feels like one big fast forward button on a VCR.
So when you stop to actually think about why we do this, I think we have almost all been programmed to move this way. “Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Quoted from one of my favorite movies, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. But it’s true. Life in the fast lane. Car racing. Ski racing. Speed skating. We live in a very fast paced society…and I don’t even reside in New York City! I am beginning to think this is all a very shitty thing. In fact, I think my rushing in making me age a little. If I can just return 3 more emails, change a quick diaper, and run to the pharmacy quickly, I can pack it all in! Yah great. And give myself a heart attack in the process.
I help busy women (like you!) prioritize self-care so you can experience less stress, more calm and greater joy every day!
