So happy and with that comes awareness...

So happy I just have to share.  Plus I gained some insight in the process.

I haven't been on the board for a few days because I have been busy with my 21-yr-old daughter who was home from college for the weekend!  I answered the doorbell on Thursday afternoon to find my daughter there at the door, jumping up and down excitedly like a little girl!  She had driven the 5 hours home from UW-Madison to surprise me with a weekend at home.  I had been missing her terribly - in fact I had just written her an email the night before suggesting she come home for a visit. Turns out she had already planned her surprise visit home, so my pitiful email made her all the more excited about her plan.

It has been so nice having her home.  She brings the sunshine into our home.  She is so funny and full of life. She and my youngest son (14) could not be closer. She is the world's best big sister. He has been basking in her glow all weekend too.  We have both been missing her a lot since she went back to school.  She had spent the summer at home with us for the first time in her 3 years in college, so we got used to having her around again.   

Which brings me to my revelation.  I had been in a real slump of noncompliance with my doctor's orders for several weeks... and I did not realize that the onset of that slump coincided with my daughter going back to school!  So why is this important to realize?  Well, for one thing, I had been feeling really ashamed of my noncompliance and what I viewed as merely flakey behavior and attitude. I was beating myself up for what I viewed as "failing" for no good reason.  

But when I realized it had to do with my daughter's leaving the nest again, just after cir****tances had brought her back to me, I felt so much better about my diet failings. 

It made me realize we have to be in tune with what is going on around us, and within us, so that we can anticipate when our journey might get bumpy. A birthday, retirement, pregnancy or lay off.... These are the things that will trip us up when the weight loss honeymoon of the first year is over.  These major life changes will require us to find the extra support or preparedness to buck up so we can be strong in the face of stress and change. Otherwise we are blindsided.

Insight leads to preparedness.  Preparedness gives us empowerment.  
So I dedicate this insight to my darling daughter, who knew her mama needed her. 

Awww...what an awesome daughter. I miss Son#2 who's going to school up there near Roz. Somehow when I talk to Roz it helps. lol  I talk to the boy on Facebook and phone, but I wish he was home more too. 

It's nice to hear your son and daughter get along so great too. We are lucky parents. Count our blessings, lucky. 

--gina
 

How many children do you have, Gina? We never stop being first and foremost Mommies to our babies do we?  I have little fantasies that one day I will live near at least one of my kids and I will be able to travel all the time to go visit the others, but unless I win the lottery, I don't know how that could ever happen. sigh.  Sunrise/sunset, right?  I hope you get to see your boy soon.  
Kathy 

I LOVED your post!  A thousand years ago (when I was in college out of state) I used to surprise my parents with visits too!  As much as I loved college, I really missed my parents and adored hanging with them on those weekends!  We didn't have cell phones and email back then so we'd really only talk about once a week....long distance was expensive back then (Good grief, I'm really aging myself here!)

I appreciate your insight into "preparedness".  I am still in the full compliance phase but I'm mentally preparing already for the struggles of maintanance!

Enjoy a beautiful weekend with your precious family!

Thank you. I was hoping others could relate to it.  It sounds like you were a really wonderful daughter. It's so easy to get caught up in our own selfish young adult issue when we are in college. I'm sure you mom and dad appreciated those surprise visits!  I sure had a wonderful time with my daughter.  Jus****ching her playing with the dog, laughing with her brother.....eating her cereal in the morning in the funny way she has....haha.  Just being here!  sigh

I'm further out than you in the daughter situation.  My daughter is now a college professor and I only get to see her a few times a year.  But I know exactly what you mean.  Think I'll give her a call today. 
And the whole preparedness thing is so relavant right now.  I was at a horse show all day yesterday and was fine because I had taken my food.  This coming weekend I go to the World Equestrain Games and have to plan food for several days.  Already thinking about what will travel best and how to stay on program (pureed).

I'm so glad my post prompted you to call your daughter. :)  You are quite the equestrian! You will have to share your story with us some day!  Getting back on a horse is one of the things I am looking forward to doing.  I have been too heavy to ride for a long time.  Hard to believe, but true. 

What a lovely post!  Thank you for sharing this!  I really needed to read it.  I've been feeling these little bouts of depression lately due to stress at work and school (I'm finishing up my Master's Thesis).  Typically, I would smother these feelings with food but that is not possible anymore and in all honesty, this is the first time I've felt this much stress since surgery 10 mths ago.  I didn't know what to do?!  So I've really had to put things in perspective---such as you did--as to how I was going to handle these emotions without my bff, food.

Being aware is the first step to being able to take action!  Congrats on your awareness and I'm so happy you had a wonderful weekend with your baby girl!

Wow...you are taking on a TON of life stresses with the WLS, working, writing a MA thesis.... These are all at the top of the most-stressful list so it's natural you would feel stressed out and down. I don't know if you have ever had depression before, but please keep an eye on these bouts.  It can really sneak up on you and before you know it, you're sunk.   

What area of expertise are you getting your Master's in...if you care to share?  

Oh MY what a timely post. I am traveling from NC to Minneapolis for travel and am feeling stressed. This is not the first itme I have traveled since surgery but for some reason I am more worred about this trip. I know it is because I can eat more and sometimes do not make the best choices. I hate to be away from home and sick....
My daughter is just a little older but use to do the same thing, she is like a breath of fresh air and I immediately feel so much better when I see her or talk to her,  Brenda