Ice Ice Baby.... WAY to Damn Cold!

HAPPY FRIDAY!!!! Finally it's FRIDAY, it' FRIDAY... no, this isn't an homage to Rebecca Black... I'm just glad it's the weekend- I've got some boxes to pack, it's going to snow more and I don't have anywhere I HAVE to go so it can snow all it wants until Sunday afternoon-- then it needs to melt so I can get my week started off on a good, less slippery note.  

Speaking of a good note, I got a call from one of the most precious people last night- she's the director of a program here on campus and an amazing educator. She's invited me to speak to one of her classes Monday night about my journey with Monkey- what was so awesome about this phone call was how things unfolded~ we ended up talking about some things I have been working through personally- she had no way of knowing these things and yet she called me just as I was dealing with them... I've learned when we let it, the universe has a way of placing the right people in the right place just when we need them-- BUT we have to be open to it... 

We also have to be open to loving and accepting ourselves-- right where we are-- not who we were 15 years ago or who we envision being in 5 years- but who we are at this VERY moment in our lives.  We all have this 'ideal-self', this pre-conceived notion of our 'best'.  While it's great to have a goal for ourselves, we can't love only that 'picture perfect self'.  We have to learn to love ourselves at the moment- if we don't love who we are RIGHT NOW- we can't become that ideal self~ those negative vibes will continue to hold us back.

Chances are the 'self' we see and loathe isn't the 'self' others see- as a general rule we are harder on ourselves than any one outside of us is going to be... It's like a two way mirror-- when we look in it, we see our flaws, our failures, that extra 15 pounds we can't seem to lose.  When others look at us through the mirror on other side they see our strengths, our beauty, our talents- they don't notice the scars and crows feet- instead they see courage and beautiful smiles.  

I know personally how hard it is to love yourself in the NOW- when I think of my optimum self it's five years ago, in fact only days before Monkey was born- I was thinner, vibrant, a little cocky and had the world by it's coat tails... I don't see myself that way anymore- but that doesn't mean I can't love ME right now~ as hard as it may be when I look in the mirror, I have to try to see me as others do.  

A cute story to bring it all home when "Brave" came out my hair was long and curly- quite like Merida's... the first time Monkey saw a preview for the movie he exclaimed "Dats mommy!! Mommy dats you!!!" I snickered because my mother had also said Merida reminded her of me when I was younger- strong, rebellious, didn't conform, etc.  (Even the way she wipes her face on her sleeve in one scene)  Monkey tells anyone who will listen that Merida and mommy are the same person... so when I cut my hair shorter than shoulder length one day on a whim I expected the comparison to stop- to me it was a visual comparison of my wild red-hair.   However, months later he STILL insists that it's Mommy in the movie- Why is that?? Because it's not a visual comparison, in his mind I AM Merida, he sees me as his 'hero', the stubborn willing to fight for what she believes in, Scottish Princess.  When I look in the mirror I see the chubby, buxom hand maiden, Maudie-- but Monkey will tell me... "NOOO dats not you-- THAT'S YOU!!" while pointing to Merida.  He is looking through the mirror from the other side.  

In order to truly love ourselves we need to look through the other side of the mirror.  So my darlings, I'm challenging you to do just that-- take a long hard look in the mirror, but instead of whining about what you see, think or feel--be BRAVE enough to view yourself as a loved one does, through the other side~~

Enjoy your cold weekend my lovelies!!! 
S~S