This is my debut! I have entered the world of FAT acceptance, of boldly Loving yourself! And...that lovely, magical world of Self Acceptance. Ahhhh....I am finally home!!
"Home" to me embodies So many things.
Safety. I always felt safe at home! My Dad was an excellent provider, an outstanding father figure. When he came home from a long day at work, he would swoop us up in his arms and smother us with kisses. We would giggle and scream- his scratchy mustache tickled!! I loved to watch as my two older brothers would run and tackle his legs--- We would all proceed to "horse around" and wrestle on the living room floor.
Our Dad was always up for piggy back rides! He devoted himself to us and we to him. We tagged along, helping him with all his chores. Chopping firewood... teamwork... He chopped, we gathered and stacked. It was harmony in action. Most that we did in our family, was the same. We loved being together; working, playing...loving!
Gardening began in the spring. We would have a blast, burning off the garden. It is a family joke, my Dad LOVES his fires. In a woodstove, on the grill, campfires, burning the old garden...he is in Heaven!
The tilling of the earth began soon after. We were always eager to see the process begin. Cranking up the big till, walking around in bare feet with the new tilled earth smell in our nose and the cool, rich earth beneath our toes.
Making the trenches for seeds- all that potential for growth, life...food!
Waiting...tending to the young, tender seedlings. Long hot days of sweating under the brutal sun, hoeing back the weeds, assuring that each plant had room to grow and expand.
Harvest!!! Sun ripened tomatoes- bursting with flavor against your tongue As youngsters we explored this haven... chomping and tasting. Raw turnips- crunchy and sweet! (You'd never believe.), fresh blueberries right off the bush- bursting with sweet goodness.
In a way this SO embodies my own journey in life...toward self acceptance, loving and BEing.
-Burning off the expectations of family and society.
-Turning over new soil in myself.
-Planting seeds of acceptance and Love.
-Tenderly nurturing these seeds, not rushing, just giving myself space and TIME to grow.
-Blossoming into loving acceptance, nurturing myself...Harvest!
Creativity- Mama is the embodiment of this quality. Everything from:
- rainy day bags (on rainy days we got to pick one special item from the rainy day bag),
- chore charts rewards-we earned summer coupons after so many stars gained (for each set of chores completed you earned a star.) (summer coupon were hand made by Mama with special treats, like a TCBY yogurt date with Mama and many other fun options).
- tent bed. When I was young She sewed together sheets and created this fabulous tented bed where I could draw the sheets and have my own private world- MY space.
-Christmas treasure hunts- we would wake up early and find clues. Each clue lead to another. Together us kids would wind through a maze of clues until- at last!- we found the grand treasure!! It was amazing.
In a way she taught me that it was OK to have a space of my own. It is important to Laugh and have fun.
Many times we feel that we must always share ourselves with our families- our Spouse, our kids, our job, our neighbors, our extended family. We lose the ablity to set boundaries and feel guilty when we take Space for ourselves. I love the fact that as a child I had time for myself - and I LOVED begin with Myself!!
Life is Too much fun to take it too seriously...to take OURSELVES seriously. By lightening up on ourselves, we gain more joy.
The circumstances in my childhood prepared me to see the richness in simplicity, the goodness in life.
For this I am so thankful.
I am now ready to share with others. To explore myself as a sensual, full bodied, FAT, fabulous woman and to express this message.
Be Blessed, love yourself and EMBRACE your body!
Love,
Abigail
