Light-Hearted Happy Holiday Week-End

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Category: Holidays and Special Occasions

Easter and Passover: what a combo. It's a powerful week-end with both commemorations happening at the same time.

How are you doing? Here are some suggestions to make your day more happy. Easter commemorates the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  It speaks to our hearts of new life, triumph over adversity and the joy of new beginnings.

Passover commemorates Moses' determination to end slavery and the start of living in freedom.  It speaks to our hearts of new life,  triumph over adversity and the joy of new beginnings.

I'm in the midst of a Happy Day, and I hope you are too. Mine is filled with children -- two girls, seven and five.  If you've read my book, Healing Your Hungry Heart: recovering from your eating disorder, you've been introduced to Delilah and Hannah.  They are in the acknowledgements, and you've witnessed some of their inspiring games within the chapters. This morning we are reading stories, playing Easter games we make up plus playing a little croquet now called Quidditch, opponents being Slytherin and HufflePuff.

What's the down side of these holidays when you are suffering from an eating disorder?  I almost wrote "plagued with an eating disorder."  Perhaps that's better in terms of the Passover story.  It took many plagues to assault the oppressor before freedom was granted.  And even then, the Jews had to cope with more hardship before they crossed the Red Sea.  Can you use that metaphor?  Can the suffering from the plague of your eating disorder break the bonds of your eating disorder oppressor?  Are you ready to brave the trials of the desert to reach your new life?

And what about the suffering of Jesus struggling up Calvery?  In that tradition He bore that suffering for us all. Once through it, He is resurrected into a new life, freedom for everyone.  Can you accept the freedom you have available?  Can you struggle through your pain knowing that healing comes not by pain being removed but by us working our way through it?

Here's the big question, the big challenge for you.  Instead of dwelling on the suffering and challenges of family difficulties, loneliness, dread of candy and gatherings centered around feastiing, can you turn your attention to the meaning of these days? The key is using your energy to triumph over adversity to reach the joy of new beginnings.

You are not alone in this.  Seeds and plants live through the adversity of winter and bloom in the welcoming Spring.

To commemorate this special time of the year, what can you do?  Where can you turn your attention? 

Defeating adversity doesn't have to mean a direct conflict where you say, "No" to your eating disorder while you are sorely tempted to act out.

Defeating this particular adversity can mean looking for alternative ways to direct your attention.

Can you look to color, courage, resourcefulness and determination that is around you? 

Can you let yourself see where commitment leads to wonderful new beginnings?

Look in gardens. Look at construction sites. Look at start up businesses. Look at the healing process of your own body.

I love the old Walt Disney Silly Symphonies.  They capture the joy and imagination of childhood.  Some of them are dated.  Some of them are not viewed today because they have moments of politically incorrect philosophies that reflect another age.  I hope we have moved beyond those philosophies so that we can still mine treasures Disney offers.  Children, with their fresh eyes,  don't "get" the old references.

Here's one for your pleasure and delight that is a great favorite at my house.  Every scene has a tiny, quickly passing bit of creativity that has the children watching again and again.

Me, too. Allow me to introduce you (or reintroduce you) to:  Walt Disney's The Funny Little Bunnies.

Let me know your experience and if you share it with children in your life.  I'm wishing you happiness in this holiday of rebrith, new birth and new beginnings. Let the first be the birth of a fresh new perspective that allows you to see life and joy.

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0 # So my fill-in T wanted me to eat 2,000 c — PTC 2012-04-08 17:54

So my fill-in T wanted me to eat 2,000 calories today, write a menu for the day and follow it. I guess she doesn't understand what Easter is like, especially for Italians, because we don't eat lunch and dinner, we eat one big meal and that's about it. I told her that but she didn't seem to get it.

I didn't want to spend my Easter obsessing about what I was eating and what time I was eating it, and writing it all down, so I did not. I just wrote it all down for her now, at the end of the day...no times, no measurements, just food. She won't like that but I didn't want to ruin my holiday because she wanted me to obsessively think about all of my food and write it down. I don't care if I didn't eat 2,000 calories, all I know is that I had a nice Easter!

0 # working thru this ED has involved my att — mylifex2 2012-04-08 18:47

working thru this ED has involved my attempts to find myself in the middle of all of my family chaos. I was not at my mother's house five minutes today before she was unloading her unhappiness with my dad, how all of her children have disappointed her, how she has no idea who she would trust her younger children to if she dies...etc,...I have dedicated my entire life to my parents. I have sacrificed many, many things to be there for them. I have passed opportunities because I felt I could not move far away from them...because they "need" me.
So, after initially becoming very upset with her and getting worked up, I took a deep breath and decided that I would run the errands to the store for the forgotten dinner items. I took care of myself by getting away from the situation.
This type of manipulation from my mother, and devisive issues within my family, are the types of things that help fuel my food issues. Last week I wrote that I had removed myself emotionally from one of my sisters with whom I feel great stress. Although this sounds mean and selfish, I understand why I did it. I have felt some relief not being subjected to her drama and anger. I have not visited my family as much as I used to secondary to all of these things I have written about. So how does this fit into the blog topic? My new beginning has been for myself and my kids. To step away from situations that have been causing me great distress. I can't see "life and joy" around my family. But I can enjoy the life I make for myself and my children, and enjoy the unconditional love of my friends who would rather cheer me on in life, than tear me down. I love my family, but my healing process is coming thru walking away from the fire, instead of staying in the house while it burns down. I will always be there for them, but within reason, and not at the expense of my children and my self-worth. I told my mother this after she unloaded on me, and right before I left for the store...she cried, but she survived. She did not bring up anything else upsetting or triggering for the rest of the day. I was able to salvage the afternoon with my family that included some siblings who live out of town, and whom I rarely see. Overall, it was a productive and nice day. (the gym was closed, so that was a bummer, but that is another topic).
tracy

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