You know I love me some Oprah...

....and I love me a whole lotta Nie Nie.

Tomorrow, they come together.
Will you be watching?


I am sure it will be inspirational.

For Me

Sometimes when I am watching Oprah, I hear women say things like, "I am so busy taking care of other people that I never take care of myself " or even worse, "I am always a giver. I just don't have anything left to give myself."

I can be kind of judgmental sometimes, let's admit it, so I usually scoff a little to myself and think something like,

"Lady, you are just using that as an excuse for being a drunk/overweight/out of style/disorganized."

Because really, taking care of other people and taking of yourself can go together. It isn't really about how much time we devote to other people. Let's face it -most of us, no matter how much we have on our plate, waste plenty of time in one way or another on ourselves - time that could be used in more productive, results-driven ways if we just put forth the effort.

Like I spend hours a week sitting on the computer at night after my kids are sleep - hours that could be used exercising, or learning Spanish, or reading my scriptures- if I really cared enough and used more discipline.

The phrasing just annoys me a bit. I hate the martyr act (I told you I was judgmental).

But I had a little Aha! moment (you like that Oprah?) a month or so ago.

I was thinking about my brother-in-law Roy, who has given up all sugar. When he was here over the summer, I asked him if he ever misses it. He told me that he misses it, but he doesn't miss overeating it and feeling addicted to it.

I thought to myself, Wow. Good for him. You can tell he is happier and healthier for it. I just couldn't ever do that though - give something up that is so much a part of my diet. I'm just not that strong.

At which point the thought came,

You did do that. Twice. Not for yourself, but for your sons.

Oh yeah. Duh. Twice I gave up all dairy for six months so that I could continue breastfeeding my sons without making them sick. Dairy isn't sugar, but it is pretty big, and a major lifestyle change, and I did it without a second thought.

I was willing to completely restrict my diet to make my sons healthy, but I am not strong enough to eat what I should for my own health?

If someone told me that my sons would only be healthy if I exercised an hour every day, I know I would do it. Probably every single day. Can I make that same effort for my own sake?

Maybe I do get those Oprah women a little.

...........................................................................

We joined the YMCA last week. It was expensive and I agonized over the decision because, although we can afford it, as I always say to Chad, I hate it when people just "throw money at a problem", (again, judgmental). I could do yoga at home, or use our little community gym at night when Chad is home if I were only disclipined enough. The thing is though, the YMCA has child-care included. Child-care I can use every single day of the week without feeling like I am taking advantage of someone. Guilt-free child-care, if you will.

It turns out that for me, that is pretty big, because exercise at home at 6 am that gets interrupted by a crying baby is exercise that is hard to be excited about. Exercise at 7 pm after the kids go down and I just want to sit down and never get back up? So much harder than doing it in the morning. Exercise just about any time I want, that also gives me a little break from my all-consuming duties? Wahoo! Sign me up.