....and the one I read today made me cry. While I usually enjoy the books I read, it's not often that it makes me cry to the point that I use up half a box of tissues.
I'm what most people would call a "larger woman." I've never been what people consider skinny. Even at my lightest weights, I was still bigger than most other girls. I first read one of Jennifer Weiner's books a few years ago (In Her Shoes) and was amazed at how well she understood the "big girl's" mindset....so finding out that she was writing from experience wasn't too surprising.
She frequently has a character that is a big girl who is handcuffed emotionally and/or mentally by her size. Usually, the character has a skinny sister or friend with whom she has a love/hate relationship.
But I just finished Good In Bed.....what a great story!!! As usual, the lead character, Cannie, is a "larger woman" and has just broken up with her boyfriend. Although in a slight twist, he was very much in love with her and she broke up with him (typically, the woman is dumped because the boyfriend can't handle her size in these types of stories). While he ends up not having been a prince, he has the right attitude about "Loving a Larger Woman."
Cannie has the typical emotional/mental issues with her size, but in this story it hasn't kept her from being successful not only at her job, but also in relationships. She's a serial monogamist who is sexually aware. She's funny and irreverent. And while she's trying to lose some weight, it isn't the sum total of her existence.
In the end, without giving too much away, Cannie works through her anger and shame after a few mis-steps. She learns that while some people just aren't capable of truly loving relationships, you can surround yourself with people you love, who will love you back.
And in the end, when you surround yourself with the right people, size really doesn't matter....
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, October 19, 2009
The incredible disappearing me....
Well, guess I really dropped the ball on my blog.....
It's been over a year since I last wrote here. Reading my first two posts I can't believe how much has changed.
Shortly after that last post a friend of mine miscarried for the first time. I was happy to be there for her since I knew her pain. It didn't make anything better that three friends of ours announced their pregnancies right after she miscarried and around the one year anniversary of my miscarriage. "It's so unfair!" we exclaimed. "Why does everyone else get to have this so easily, but we don't?"
A month later, I got pregnant. I didn't know for sure until early November, but then we knew!!! We were having a baby....first came the excitement....then the guilt. How could I tell my friend...she was still grieving for her recent loss. I decided that I wouldn't hide anything from her, but rather talk to her about it and help her through it. It seemed to go pretty well. She had recovered much better than I had from the miscarriage. Unfortunately, another friend of ours got pregnant about the same time I did which didn't help her cope. And then the worst happened in the spring, my friend had a second miscarriage.
She has amazed me though. Her ability to recover and bounce back was so much greater than mine was. I don't know if I could have been as positive after a second time as she was. She just kept getting right back on that horse. I'm so proud of her and how strong she is. Oh, and I'm happy to report that she is now six months pregnant and just found out she's having a baby girl.
As for me, my own little girl arrived in July after plenty of issues (illness, loss of 50 pounds during pregnancy and gestational diabetes) and a somewhat lengthy birthing process (induction for 20 hours followed by a c-section). I will never complain though. She is the best thing that ever happened to us.
I'm currently trying to be a WAHM. Only two days in and I'm still trying to figure out my schedule, but it's a work in process right. Things will change as my little one grows and wants to do new and different things.
It's been over a year since I last wrote here. Reading my first two posts I can't believe how much has changed.
Shortly after that last post a friend of mine miscarried for the first time. I was happy to be there for her since I knew her pain. It didn't make anything better that three friends of ours announced their pregnancies right after she miscarried and around the one year anniversary of my miscarriage. "It's so unfair!" we exclaimed. "Why does everyone else get to have this so easily, but we don't?"
A month later, I got pregnant. I didn't know for sure until early November, but then we knew!!! We were having a baby....first came the excitement....then the guilt. How could I tell my friend...she was still grieving for her recent loss. I decided that I wouldn't hide anything from her, but rather talk to her about it and help her through it. It seemed to go pretty well. She had recovered much better than I had from the miscarriage. Unfortunately, another friend of ours got pregnant about the same time I did which didn't help her cope. And then the worst happened in the spring, my friend had a second miscarriage.
She has amazed me though. Her ability to recover and bounce back was so much greater than mine was. I don't know if I could have been as positive after a second time as she was. She just kept getting right back on that horse. I'm so proud of her and how strong she is. Oh, and I'm happy to report that she is now six months pregnant and just found out she's having a baby girl.
As for me, my own little girl arrived in July after plenty of issues (illness, loss of 50 pounds during pregnancy and gestational diabetes) and a somewhat lengthy birthing process (induction for 20 hours followed by a c-section). I will never complain though. She is the best thing that ever happened to us.
I'm currently trying to be a WAHM. Only two days in and I'm still trying to figure out my schedule, but it's a work in process right. Things will change as my little one grows and wants to do new and different things.
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