11-30-09...Monday back to reality.

"Every wall is a door"

Emerson

Every wall is a door? Bet a lot of us have the feeling we have ran right into a wall with Thanksgiving being over and Christmas fast approaching. The site that Sharilyn sent with the "letter to the saboteur's is priceless, and I immediately thought of you ladies that work in offices and those of you that are school teachers where the children's Mother's are always bringing something ''just for you." If you have not had a chance to read the letter, it is worth the time. So now back to the ''Wall & the door." Brick wall's these past two months, we had Halloween, we have just finished up Thanksgiving, and now Christmas is the next one we have to deal with, but actually we have to begin dealing with that one, this very minute. It is true, people will be bringing in goodies to the office, some of your neighbor's will no doubt be bringing treats to your door. It's great if you have people in your house that can and will eat those things that get us in trouble up quickly, but if at your house you have only a husband that eats very little, then just throw the stuff out. No, I am not a advocate of wasting food, but if I cannot give it away to someone else, then it is best for me to throw the stuff out, and in doing that I am watching out for me.

Watching our for ourselves, is what we should be doing everyday. People think when they bring over that big pan of homemade fudge, they are being a good neighbor, and it has taken me years to break my neighbor's of bringing food items to our home. All my neighbor's met me when I was 327 pounds, so they knew I had a weight problem and struggled with food. It never failed, I'd be ''dieting'' doing good and here comes the little old ladies with their plates of cookies. Always, ''I thought Bob would enjoy these." Poor Bob was lucky to get one cookie, oh the perils of living with a food addict. However, after joining Weight Watchers, and losing my first 50 pounds, here came one of our little neighbor ladies with a plate of goodies, I stopped her right at the door, and told her this, ''Miss Mary, Bob and I do appreciate your kindness, but I just cannot have this in my home anymore." Of course I got the same old, ''just a little bit won't hurt." That is the problem, there is no ''just a little bit, it is either all or nothing." So I finally had to put my foot down and ask this question of my neighbor's.....''if I had lung cancer would you be bringing me packs of cigarettes?" I am fine with you liking me well enough to bring me something, but bring me something that is not eatable. Now Miss Mary passed away a couple of years ago, but I have finally gotten through to my other neighbor's that want to shower Bob and I with kindness. The other day Carl came over, and he was the one always bringing Danish, now he brings pot holders, a little flashlight, maybe a book he has read. So my wall was my neighbor's my door was my voice. It is alright for us to tell people we cannot handle all that food being brought in, it is our right and duty to take a stand for our health.

Then again when things like all the holiday goodies are being brought in, I have to ask myself, ''do I really and truly want to say NO, or am I just talking the talk, but not walking the walk?" Trust me, I fall into both categories. From time to time we have suggested, if your having a hard time, call a friend. As a rule that friend does not get called until the damage has been done. So I ask myself, ''did I really want to resist?" For me if I did not walk away, or make that call or do whatever to get out of the food situation, then no, I did not want to resist.

We are going to find many wall's these next few weeks, the trick is to find the door, then the key to unlock that door so we can pass through.