In my recent post, Food, Glorious Food, I mentioned I had been fasting.  A friend said I should say more.  Well, I was preparing for my first colonoscopy 🙂  If you are over 55 or so, it’s to be highly recommended.  Things can go awry down there in our digestive tract and it’s way better to know that sooner rather than later.  Happily I can reassure anyone who’s new to it that the procedure these days is not bad at all… I found it fascinating to follow the camera as it scoped everything out!

Another memorable moment, and chance for healing, happened that week as well.

Being told not to eat any nuts, seeds, or corn for a week prior to the procedure really triggered my reactivity.  It took me back to the days when my mother tried to micromanage my diet and my weight as a kid.  Having some limits set that week, turned out to actually increase my awareness around food (always a good thing!), and multiplied my gratitude when at last I was free to choose again!

But then there was the past:  I grew up in the age of Twiggy  and I cringe thinking about how many young lives were messed up by that super-skinny, super-model.

It takes colossal courage to break oppressive family and cultural patterns… In BECOMING, an essay called A Weighty Matter, addresses such issues as health, body image, cultural norms…and how they loomed in our young lives, and how we are dealing them now, as adults.

Gloria Steinem says, “Each individual woman’s body demands to be accepted on its own terms.”  It has been an ongoing journey and adventure to do just that.  How I would love to be able to talk to my mother now!

Reflections:  What have been your challenges with standards imposed by family, friends, or culture around body image, weight, self-esteem?  How did these affect you as a young person, and how have you dealt with them as you have grown in authenticity? What might you like to learn or change at this point in your life? 

Jill Schroder is the author of BECOMING: Journeying Toward Authenticity.  BECOMING is an invitation for self-reflection, and to mine our memorable moments for insights, meaning, and growth.  Check the website for a sample chapter, or see the reviews to get a flavor for the volume.  Follow me on Twitter, let’s be friends on Facebook :-)

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