175.4 The Balloon In The Backyard

I know this really looks creepy, sort of like Minnie Mouse at age 68, but I became intrigued with this mylar balloon that Jeff brought in from the backyard last night. He was ready to pitch it, but I wanted to keep it so I could write about it today. Why, you ask, as did he! Because I always wonder where helium filled balloons that escape into space end up. I've had them slip from my grasp and I know my kids have been brokenhearted when that's happened to them. I remember wanting to tie the string around Alee's wrist but relented when she didn't want me to do that, and then seeing her little hand open up and watching the balloon fly away. Oh my, lots of tears.

So I think about the adventure this balloon has had, including having to pose for me so I could take this picture. I wonder about the little girl who let go of the balloon. Why was she given the balloon? What was she celebrating? Had she just received it, or had she grown tired of it? And, if the balloon could talk, what would it say about its hopefully amazing journey before landing in our back yard?

I think we are all always on journeys, some that we choose to take and some we find ourselves swept up in without ever having consciously made the commitment to travel that particular road. And, why does one journey end, as another or others take its place? I don't know, but this poor tired balloon surely sparked my imagination!

179.0 Cheering Me up!

I just got off the phone with a dear friend of mine. (That's Barb about 2 years ago.) Barbara was the subject of one of my early posts. (See "Magic", 8/26/09.) She was my roommate for a couple of years at UCLA. She's seen me through lean times and through corpulent times, and has always been one of my steadfast buddies. Today she called after seeing my picture from yesterday's post and thought I might need a little cheering up. Although my eyes don't hurt, I did need a little cheering up and was grateful for the call.

She hasn't seen me since the weight loss has been noticeable so I hope we can get together soon. She brought up the subject of my being brave to post all this about my weight. I don't really think of it as being brave. I think of it as just sharing a part of my life in hopes of it helping others. And I shared with her the fact that now that I am getting so close to reaching my goal of 170, I will have to shift my focus away from losing weight to some new adventure. I do have several ideas, some of which relate to weight loss. It will be exciting to see how this next part of my life's journey plays out. Thanks again for the call, Barb!

188.4 Seeing Beyond The Weight Loss

I had an appointment with Jennifer Scott today, my inspiration and support for this weight loss program. Actually, she has become much more than that. She has become a spiritual coach helping me to grow and change throughout this weight loss process. Check out her website listed on the right.

Today she challenged me to begin to see beyond the weight loss. She reminded me that the more important changes that have been occurring along with the weight loss have been increased health and happiness, and self knowledge. Sometimes, in my myopic view of life, I focus way too much on how many pounds I've lost instead of what's going on in the bigger picture of my life.

So what will be next for me? Losing the weight has been a great thing, but like Peggy Lee sang, "Is That All There Is?". What will my life be like a year from now, five years from now? It's time to start widening my view and moving toward a new future with enthusiasm and joy.

199.8 Happy New You!

When our son Ted was just learning to talk, instead of wishing a Happy New Year, he would say "Happy New You!" It's funny the things we remember, and this year especially I think Happy New You is a great way to start the new year off. Since most of those who are reading this blog are interested in weight loss, a new you is a great goal to have. Because weight loss isn't just about losing pounds or inches. It's really about self discovery and as I get older I realize that a very significant part of our life's journey is about self discovery which goes back to my often blogged about need for being conscious and aware. Until I recognized my behaviors around food and became tuned in to them, there was no way I was going to be able to change my habits and my thinking about food for the long haul. (Oh, I am so rambleling, but there is a theme here.)

Since we lived in Boston for so many years, Ellen Goodman became one of our favorite columnists in the Boston Globe. Today her last column was printed as she leaves the working world to join those of us in retirement. Here is the link to her column which is not just about retirement, but also about reinventing oneself, becoming a New You.
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2010/01/01/letting_go_and_looking_ahead/?s_campaign=8315

So, in case you didn't notice, I've landed in the 100s as of today. Yes, you can laugh since I just squeaked under the wire, but for me it's a huge victory. And it's the beginning of a new challenge to reach the 170 mark when I will have lost 77 pounds! I can hardly wait to experience all of the other changes that I will encounter as I meet my new me.