I finished my third and final book for this month's book club and although it wasn't my favorite of the three we read, one particular part really left an impression on me.
I complain a lot about not looking like I used to. I blame not having enough time to dedicate 2 hours a day to a gym workout. I blame convenience for convincing me that simple recipes are in fact cheaper to make, but more fattening. I blame having an awesome family for making me want to spend my evenings playing rather than doing push ups or lunges. And I blame my genes for not snapping my body back to where it belongs. I think most Moms will say it is worth it in a heartbeat, but that doesn't stop us from holding out hope that by some miracle we will get our old body back.
After reading my book and catching a different point of view, I understood that maybe the trade-off is indeed worth it. While I realize this was a fictional story, I cannot help but notice the truth in the perspective of a woman who has lived a pretty rough life - Single mother, no significant other, drug and alcohol problems, several rehab visits and a life spent alone with only her son to look after her.
From the perspective of Tammi Lee:
"She still fit into her size-eight Wranglers, and she was proud of that. Yet deep inside her dwelt a strange longing that seized her at the oddest of times. She secretly dreamed of being plump and bespectacled, with forearms that jiggled and a double chin, wearing a house dress and a bib apron and sensible shoes. Smelling of talcum powder and Jergens lotion and freshly baked bread. It was insane, but she wanted to be one of those plus-size blue-haired women. Because when you looked like that, it told folks you knew your place in the world. It meant you'd raised a family, making pancakes for then on the weekends and reading bedtime stories to the kids. It meant you'd made a house into a home, putting up curtains and picking out the right color for the walls and buying flats of petunias for the garden every spring. It meant you had grandkids who came running up the walk to the front door because they couldn't wait to see you. It meant you had a husband who had several annoying habits, but you loved him anyway because he was your whole world. God, what she wouldn't give to fit into a life like that, instead of into her size-eight Wranglers."
Now, it is not that I think you are only a good mother if you are chubby and know how to cook a mean meal. I enjoy my short workouts during the week and feel it is important to remain as healthy as possible, but I also know that if I died tomorrow I wouldn't be upset that i didn't get one final workout in. I'd be upset if I didn't spend the extra few minutes reading a bedtime story or making cinnamon rolls in the morning instead of the usual cereal and banana.
So I guess what I am saying is that instead of spending any more time aggravated that I can't fit into my jeans from college, I should be thankful that that I am making memories with my family instead.
Oh, and in case anyone was wondering, here are the book reviews for my current reads:
Karen McQuestion, "The Long Way Home" A-
A story about 4 women who have hardly a thing in common but plan a spontaneous road trip together. It was fun to see how each of their stories turned out and I appreciated how the author made their rash decisions seem reasonable.
Elin Hilderbrand, "The Island" A+
A group of relatives spend a much needed month vacation on an island and get to know each other and, more importantly, themselves a little better. I absolutely loved this book! One of my favorite reads by far. Everything from how it was written to the characters to the storyline. It was just fantastic and I highly recommend it.
Susan Wiggs, "The You I Never Knew" B+
If you like conflict mixed with tying up loose ends, this is the book for you. There is a father/daughter relationship that needs mended, a father/son relationship that needs started, and an old romance that needs re-sparked.
I am anxious to meet with the rest of my book club and see what they thought of our picks and I am really excited to see what we'll be reading next!
Sincerely Yours,
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