Tonight you got ahold of a pizza crust. You got a hold of it, and you wouldn’t give it up. As you sat on the living room floor, dejected and ANGRY I took the crust away from you, a wave of panic came over me. PANIC.
I sincerely hope you never have to diet. I wish you your father’s metabolism and ability to use and eat food as it was intended-nourishment.
May you never use food for comfort. Or out of boredom.
May a family member never call you one of the “bubblebutt sisters” in our rather round clan. May you never, ever have to go with me (like I did with my mother) to a Weight Watcher meeting.
May you always fit into the clothes in a boutique.
May you always look forward to bathingsuit shopping.
May you continue with athletics AFTER college.
May you find a wonderful partner that loves you even if you balloon up or slim down.
May you never, ever know what its like to suddenly realize you are not a thin girl anymore. And panic about what to do about it.
And know that I did not take that crust away from you because I’m worried about your weight. You are a fat, happy, healthy baby. As you should be. May I NEVER do anything to make you even blink about your self image. I took that crust away because you are only 6 months old. And I didn’t want you to choke and die. Nothing more, nothing less. And while I also don’t wish your brother weight problems, I know all too well that us girls seem to deal with that subject differently. So here’s wishing its never a subject we deal with together.
As for your mother. The Queen. I’ll always strive to give you a good example. I’ll be healthy. I’ll be fit. I’ll never be fat again. For myself, but also..for you.
The Queen
Oh man… I just got all teary eyed…
You know, last year I graduated college and started a job where I sit around on my butt all day and am within 15 steps of a snackbar. I went from skinny mini girl without even trying to 25 pounds heavier than I’ve ever been. I’m by no means fat, but it’s still not as much fun to go shopping anymore. I also hope that I am able to someday teach my daughter to have a healthy relationship with food, and not use it as a diversion from boredom as I’ve been tending to do.
I love this post.
That’s when it started for me. When I started to work and sat on my butt. I’ve been battling it ever since. I’m halfway to my goal on WW, and hit my goal once before..after my son was born. I realize I had a baby 6 months ago…but its not fun when you have nothing to wear :(. I started typing this post and it all just came out. I figure there are a lot of women out there who can relate. Scary thing is I’m comfortable with who I am. I worry for those daughters out there with Moms who are sick over the weight stuff. I hope I never get like that.
Also, may you remain a virgin until I die, or if not at least be gay.
Now who doesn’t want THAT all week??? Come on, Kaiser…take over the blog while the Queen Mother is here. I dare ya.
yeah, take it over. sweet jesus please take it over.
Gabe–I should have given you the “warning, sap alert” before this one. Sorry.
i, having only sons have made lists wimilar to yours, but they arent about weight (if i had girls i am POSITIVE they would me) but for my boys i wish for them things like a wife who is only half as crazy as their mother and grandmothers. we all want only the best for our children… the trouble with our children is that they dont realize that until they grow up adn have their own!
Oh, how LOUD I hear you on that one, your Royal Highness!
I was finally, FINALLY able to get the better of my own crippling body image problem when I had an epiphany soon after starting yoga, and realized that a body’s worth should be measured by what it’s able to DO, not what it looks like.
Can it reach up and bend down without getting stiff? Can it hoist around a hefty baby all day long without getting sore? Can it run across the road when the walk sign’s flashing yellow? Can it jump, leap, dance, twist, and stretch without causing pain?
Does it still allow you to do the things that made you happy when you were a kid, like swimming across a pool on one breath, or riding a bike up a hill just so you can go speeding down it without touching the pedals once, or going for a hike in the woods?
THOSE are the sort of thing that’s important… not being able to fit in a pair of size 5 jeans.
That’s what I’m going to try to teach my kids, at least. Here’s hoping it works…