Sometimes You Just Gotta Break The Rules

Sometimes when we diet,
our perspectives get all messed up.

We see with blinders on.
Our vision is limited.
We beat ourselves up over
portions and pieces
and PIE.

Sometimes when we diet,
we forget to live.

We focus so much on the
things we want to change,
that we often forget about
those things in our lives
that are perfect.

Like our children,
our spouses,
our homes and gardens
and the moonlit summer sky.

Sometimes we forget to breathe-
to let ourselves just be.
To relax and forget about
what pain awaits you at the gym tomorrow-
or how many calories in the snack you just had-
or if you're ever gonna be able to
slip into those jeans you've been saving.

Diets are so self-serving that
sometimes we tend to forget
there are other things in life besides
being thin.
We often forget to loosen up and laugh,
to pray,
to let nature take it's course.

I'm not saying "go off your diet"-
I'm just saying-
gain perspective-
don't be fanatical and obsessed-
be a person
and not a number on the scale.

If we died tomorrow-
what would it matter if
we lost 1/4 pound this week?
If tragedy struck-
who in the hell would care
if you were in a size 5?

I got some perspective back last night.
There were bad storms and
tornadoes in the area
and for a while it got pretty scary.

My husband looked over at me
as I cringed in my favorite chair-
staring out into the black sky.

"What's wrong honey? Everything's gonna be okay," he assured me, "You scared?"

"No", I said."I just got to thinking that if I knew I was going to get sucked up by a tornado tonight- I would have had that piece of chocolate cake that I passed up yesterday!"

Yes.
It's all perspective.
Sometimes you just gotta peep around
that wall of sensibility and strictness-
and fly free.