Me at oh, two or so…
Create a Connection Getting to Know You Day
1a. What is one thing about your body that you hate, deny, talk trash about?
I live in my head. I think a lot of the time I end up denying that my body even exists. I tend to ignore it, not give it the exercise it needs, and feed it crap instead of good food. My body lets me down a lot, getting sick, not feeling good, etc, and I let it down in return. I need to focus on being more in touch with my body and giving it what it really needs, not just what I want at the moment. I wouldn’t say that I hate any part of my body or deny it or trash talk about it. It’s more just not giving it what it needs that is the problem.
I guess what I deny is what others probably think of me since I don’t get the manicures, pedicures, hairstyles, and other “girl” things I’m supposed to, or care about fashion or appearances. And it’s not even that I deny it – I just really don’t care what other people think about me anymore. I’ve gotten too far beyond that to even bother with it.
1b. What can you do to make friends with this part and show it a little love?
I’m currently reading “Coming Home to Your Body” by Carmen Renee Berry, and getting lots of ideas on how to be more in touch with my body and take better care of it, which is one of my goals for the year. I’m dealing with my health issues and getting more proactive about taking care of myself.
2a. What is one thing about your home that doesn’t feel good?
It’s full of smelly teenage and young adult boys. Well, only two of them, but it feels like too many.
2b. What is one thing you can do to change that?
Keep pushing them to go to school and get educated so they can grow up and get outta here. Until then, I just close their doors. And make them bathe and clean their rooms.
3a. Is there a relationship that you have difficulty with?
I have difficulty with most relationships. I’m not good about calling people or asking for help or for what I need in a relationship, and I’m not good about being there for other people all the time. My friendships tend to be casual and loosely connected right now.
3b. What is something small you can do to either salvage it or come to terms with the way it is now?
Most of my problem is I have come to terms with how I am, and am not at all unhappy about it. I’ve become very self-contained and independent, even more so than I’ve always been. I’m actually far more frustrated when I do need someone’s help, especially when I’m not getting it. I need to get better about making my needs known. And I need to be more open to being there for other people and mostly letting them know I AM available, but they have to ask.
4a. Is there something you are afraid to do, but would like to try it?
No. I’m not afraid of anything anymore, really. It’s mostly a matter of not wanting to do anything, or sometimes not knowing how I can do it right now….
4b. What can you do to begin a plan to try it?
Oh, I plan to do things. Like have my golden retriever ranch. I got my current puppy, Darwin, to train as a therapy dog, and eventually want to have a ranch with the space to rescue goldens and raise and train therapy dogs. But living in suburbia right now with no space to do the things I want to do is frustrating.
7 Responses
Donna, your honesty about yourself with these questions was astounding. I applaud you for knowing yourself so well, even though you say you want to change some things–like being more in touch with your body. As for those teenage boys, yikes. I have only 1, as you know, my 18year old grandson who will move on to something or other this summer. I will miss him, but it’s more than the messiness that gets to me. There is a male adolescent energy that I love in the boys and young men at school, but not so much in the house. Do you know what I mean? A golden retriever ranch; sounds good to me, but for now, you are in divine order, as my late friend Donna always said.
A golden retriever ranch sounds awesome!!!!
First I applaud your desire to raise retrievers. Being disabled I would love to have one but my illness made it to difficult.
Your answers were honest and open. You are really in touch with who you are. I relate to relationships and had to laugh about the boys.
I am going to have to find a copy of “Coming Home to Your Body,” it sounds like something I would enjoy reading. May I ask you a question about the photo of you as a toddler? Where was it taken (all those flowers) and are you dressed up or were you wearing everyday clothes? That is a cute little dress.
I’ll be happy to send you the book when I’m done with it – I got it from paperbackswap.com.
I have no clue on the dress. I suspect we were dressed up for something, maybe Easter. I usually had a really nice dress for Easter and one for Christmas.
The only time I regret not having little girls is when the cute Easter and Christmas dresses come out – even though, knowing me, I probably wouldn’t dress a little girl up very often. My boys have never had many dress clothes at all.
OF course if I had a girl, she would probably be really into fashion and all that, just to tick me off. ;^)
I understand the cute dress thing. My niece is now 17 years-old and when my sister and I go shopping we sometimes go look at the baby clothes and wish my niece, her daughter, was small again just so we could buy what we see. 🙂
If you are willing to send me the book (and I gratefully thank you) I will be willing to except it. After I read I will pass it on to someone else.
Note: The word except should be accept.