December 2011 Blogs

So I know you’re all frantically running around right now trying to purchase with a purpose and politely avoiding the creepers in yoga class. BUT! In all that busyness  don’t forget to make your charitable donation to prevent eating disorders aka DONATE your buck-a-roo’s to Rewrite Beautiful! Everyone makes their donations at the end of the year because they know come April Tax Time it really helps you if you've made some charitable contributions. Rewrite Beautiful is a 501(c) 3.

Give to Rewrite Beautiful + Get Money! Sounds like a Win/Win to me!

No DONATION is too small or too big! If you don’t already know how awesome an organization Rewrite Beautiful is check out our year end summary and plan for 2012 that we sent to our supporters. Thanks you for supporting Rewrite Beautiful and making better mothers, sisters, daughters,  friends, girlfriends and aunts who know our worth is in not in our bodies, but in the way we treat others and ourselves! Happy giving!

To make a DONATION that will change a life please visit this link:

 http://rewritebeautiful.org/donate

I most recently turned 29 years old and I wasn’t the least bit freaked out until my little sisters asked me on the  eve of my 29^th year on earth “are you freaked out about turning 29?” Oh little sisters, their ability to innocently challenge, annoy and remind us of our mortality has oppressed the Princess ego of older sisters everywhere.  Alas, I was instantly dethroned of the simple pleasures of a stress free 29^th birthday.

Before I dive into the dramatic thoughts that went along with the change in moons on my 29^th birthday  I think we need to establish a few things. For one, I’m going to take the liberty to assume that if you are the Rewrite Beautiful blog reading type you are fully aware of the rumored plague that is called: female aging. From what I gather aging is accompanied by a few fears:

1.)    Everyone is looking– The fear that everyone is looking at you and saying, “Oh, she’s that nice, pretty woman who was brilliant, but she never really accomplished anything significant.”

2.)    Clothing – The fear that at any minute the 21 year old fairies from Forever 21will come knocking at your door and repossess all of your clothing. In exchange you will be left with nice wool cardigans, penny loafers and mom jeans.

3.)    Sex – The fear that the opposite sex does not find you suitably attractive enough to have sex with. Leaving you horny and alone to fend for yourself pulling out your own gray hairs on Saturday nights.

4.)    Babies – That your reproductive organs will start to curdle like spoiled milk and you will not be able to bake a nice healthy baby that resembles you and your non-existent lover in your womb.

I have heard all of these fears from women and some of them I have thought up all by myself (I’m such a big girl!) The funny thing about all of these fears though is whether you are 25 years old, 29 years old or 63 years old, every single one of us at one time or another will come across these fears. I think it’s up to us on how we react with to them. It may sound clique, but I think fears are kind of like the rain. We see rain outside and we have a couple of choices, we can either walk out of the house in our pajamas and get drenched or we can put a jacket on and grab an umbrella and stay dry. Like the rain, fears are inevitable, but we have the ability to shelter ourselves from their downpour. Let me paint you a picture….

So I’m having my 29 year old freak out. It’s a combination of sweating and feeling like I’m gonna cry, faint, throw up all at the same time. All the fears about everyone looking, the Forever 21 fairies, the desert void of sex and the babies I will never hold is running like a hamster wheel in my head.  I remember a question a friend asked me a few weeks back, “What is your greatest fear.” I answered, “Not having my own family.” I realize prior to crying that I am 29 years old, coming to the end of prime child bearing years and without a primate to knock boots with . Then I hear the voice of my pessimistic father who calls me at 4 am just to say, “You do know that if you don’t have children before the age of 30 you’re more likely to develop breast and ovarian cancer…just wanted to make sure you were aware of that.” So to add to my list of fears, I’m pretty sure I’m dying as well. In the words of Irishgobeen : FML!

In the midst of the freak out I realize something kind of interesting, my alleged biggest fear has already come true. The truth is that I don’t have a family of my own right now and as much as that pains me to feel (and type)  the fact of the matter is that my life isn’t all that bad. I have friends, family, passions and creativity that greatly inspires me. Though, my life is predominantly been void of romantic partnerships or children I have been able to enjoy the life of an unattached, free, not a care in the world,  single woman who has not had to clean up anyone else's poop on a regular basis for the past 29 years.  Sure there are things we all long for, but do we really need to drench ourselves in the rain and hyperventilate in the process? Or might it be a better choice to appreciate the place were in at the moment?  I’ve done lots of  wasting moments and I think it’s not only exhausting, but depressing. Instead I plan to take advantage of my 29^th year on earth. I’m going to be writing more, working on publishing some of my work, continue working on Rewrite Beautiful projects, learning more about art therapy and possibly going to Grad School. I’m a busy gal focussing on projects that fulfill my soul and help coach the souls of others. Maybe helping yourself, others and taking an inventory of the things we have to be grateful for is the trick to getting rid of those monsters in the closet aka Forever 21 fairies? What do YOU think? 

Robyn Baker, Irvina Kanarek, Michelle Smith LVN *I like touching my friends :)

It’s always nice when T.V. producers call you begging you, for your time ;)  Especially when it has nothing to do with your 72 day marriage and everything to do with a cause that means the world to you: changing how women see beauty in themselves and preventing eating disorders. The Trinity Broadcasting Network aka ‘The television network with a little fetish for Christmas lights” which (besides the whole Mother Earth thing) I think does a pretty-good-artsy-job with those millions of tiny bulbs...anyways, those fine folks asked if I and a few other eating disorder professionals would come on their show Public Affairs.  Apparently, the producer was enjoying her latte one morning and read this article about Rewrite Beautiful in the OC Register. She bookmarked it wanting to do a show on it.

I was accompanied on the show by the lovely Michelle Smith, LVN, the Program Director of The Victorian – eating disorder treatment center in Newport Beach, CA. As well as the lovely Robyn Baker, an eating disorder survivor.  Both these ladies are incredibly intelligent, poised and gracious. And dude, Robyn’s apparently a veteran at this, she was once on the Tyra show to talk about eating disorders! Such a rockstar for recovery and prevention this woman is!

The show runs for a half hour and if I do say so myself we all rocked it with some really awesome and relevant  information the public needs to know about eating disorders. Be sure to check it out!

The show is scheduled to air on:

January 13^th at 10 am

January 16^th at 8:30 am

January 19^th at 3 am (*for my fellow insomniacs!)