The Warrior

Hello Darlings...

I'm feeling chatty so you get another blog this week...

So today a friend called me up and wants to discuss some challenges she is facing in her life...she's a dear friend and just what her challenges are are so not for this blog...but let's just say she has a pretty full plate.

I listened to her and gave her my "well this is how I would/did handle that" and then I told her:

"you inspire me...I look up to you...you can do this...you have fully earned your Wonder Woman Underoos so put them on and plow ahead"

(for those of you young readers that don't know what Underoos are they were underwear in the 70's and early 80's that were printed with Superhero logos so you looked like you were wearing Batman's or Wonder Woman's uniform instead of just boring tidy whities...)

Here is a photo and thanks to wikipedia it just happened to be Wonder Woman!

And I know my friend is wearing those Wonder Woman panties and she will get through what is ahead of her and knowing her...

SHE WILL DO IT BEAUTIFULLY

She's just one of those women who is so outwardly beautiful that it is surprising when you find that the woman inside is even more beautiful.

And she has a marriage I am envious of...you can FEEL their love and support for each other...

and don't even get me started on her kids...

I love her for the way she parents and gives selflessly to others...

I love her for being my friend

SHE IS A WARRIOR

So after we hung up I started thinking about other friends of mine who are warriors...and what they are doing with and in their lives may take more than just putting on Underoos...

I have one friend, I shall just call her Beauty...

she's another one of those stunning women that is more beautiful on the inside than she is even on the outside and this woman qualifies as GORGEOUS...like stop-dead-in-your-tracks model pretty...like I kinda have a girl crush on her because she is so awesome...

She has cancer...

(sigh...big huge sigh)

We aren't close friends...we don't socialize (although I would love to have wine with her anytime) and our kids are different ages but when we see each other we always visit and I adore her.

When she posted she has cancer I literally sat on the floor of my bathroom and cried...

it was a gut-puncher...

But then I read what she had to say and the tears dried and I walked over to my bedside, lit a candle, and prayed...like on my knees (which are really crappy so you know I love her if I hit my knees) and I asked God to help her and her family get through this.

I can't do much to help her other than to send her loving vibes and pray...and sometimes I wear pink to my spin class so I can focus on her and try and send her my power at that moment.  Because she has a lot to get through...

but she will do it

and she will come through it

and one day I hope we can smile over wine when we say "remember when you had cancer..."

I feel so stupid complaining about my knees and getting shots in my knees when this poor angel has to have poison in her veins to kill what is trying to hurt her (I will not say it is trying to kill her because that gives the cancer too much power!).  This woman is battling cancer

SHE IS A WARRIOR

So my Beauty...I hope you read this and know you are on my heart...every single day...and you can tell your sweet girl that the extra hugs I give her when I see her are my way of hugging you...

You will win this fight...you will kick cancer in the ass...

And I love you for being the awesome beautiful woman you are

When I think of Beauty I think of my friend who I have referred to as Wonder Woman on this blog.  She is the one who kicked ovarian cancer in the ass.  She's a friend and even if she didn't kick cancer in the ass she would still be one of my warrior women because on one of the hardest days I ever had with my mother...where I cried and sobbed and threw things and said I couldn't take her (my mom's)drinking and bi-polar issues anymore, well Wonder Woman just picked up the key I practically threw at her and hugged me and told me it would be ok.  

I love her.  

She is a good friend to see beyond the crazy.  

And she kicked ovarian cancer in the ass...

SHE IS A WARRIOR

I have another friend who decided to go on what some might consider a drastic diet...she is doing a medically supervised liquid diet.

It is working for her...she's losing weight and starting to feel good about herself again.

It's not a diet I could do.

I have had my jaw broken twice (by doctors...long story about TMJ) and the liquid shake thing makes me want to vomit.

And I couldn't give up my wine...I spin for wine....(hey KuteKim we should put that on a t-shirt for very special Rev girls...)

But she is doing it...and I am so freakin proud of her I could bust.

I would never have that kind of willpower...I couldn't sit at a table full of people eating and be satisfied with a shake.  Heck tonight when The Cutest Boy in the World wanted pizza for dinner I ordered it and I made salmon for myself and still I ended up taking 3 very healthy bites of his pizza...

She is doing it for herself...to feel better and to feel better about herself.

It's a hard road going from being the fat chick to healthy, but I fully believe you have to do it the way that works best for you.

Everyone is different...

I had to go the exercise and healthy eating route.  It was slower but that's the only thing that works for me...

I tried Atkins...I thought about gastric banding...I did consider this same program she is doing...but for me it had to be a lifestyle change and eating pretty clean (except for wine) and exercise is the only way for me to stay at a healthy weight.  I know this because in the last year when I backed off my exercise and invited a few more Whataburgers and Popeye's fried thighs into my life I gained weight...far too easily...

so now I am back to eating clean and I have only had whataburger once in 3 months...and it was a whata jr (by the way a double meat whata jr without cheese is only 450 calories and is very satisfying)

So my beautiful friend is taking her road to health and adding in some fitness and I am so proud of her I could bust...

I love her so much...and I love that she is doing something I could not do

SHE IS A WARRIOR

Sometimes we have to be a warrior over little things...KuteKaren just moved into a new house...on a new street...

AT& T told her she didn't exist...or rather her house didn't...

she pretty much told AT&T to go to hell...and hook up her damn phone...

she may be small but she be mighty...

and she's someone I always want in my corner.

When I lost my mom she marched herself over to my house and she got me to scrape myself off the ground.  Less than 10 days after I lost my mom we had a very big fundraiser at the school and I had a large part in the putting together of the fundraiser.  I sorta had to be there.

But I was on autopilot.

KuteKaren booked a hair and make-up appointment for me and took me to get fixed up because I didn't have the energy to do so.  She made sure I looked good.  She brought me wine during the party and kept me on my feet.  She sat across the table from me and kept me going...

I have never ever forgotten that act of kindness...

because those of you who know me know I am all about getting up in the glitter when I have the chance to...and my mom was too...and my mom would have turned over in her grave if I showed up at that party in my pajamas.  And KuteKaren knew that about me...and she pretty much walked for me when I couldn't...

I love her for it

SHE IS A WARRIOR

I have a sweet beautiful friend who lost her father recently.  Her mother suffers from dementia.  Her dad was her mother's caregiver.  She and her sisters have always been close...they have a beautiful connection.  They are such a close loving family.  She  and her sisters are doing what they can for their mom...

dementia is a terrible thing and if you haven't experienced it...well, I hope you never have to...

but those wonderful daughters are helping their mom and pulling through their own grief to make her life better and easier and all the while they are raising their beautiful children...

I have lost parents...it's not easy...but this is an extra road to walk that is full of stones and pitfalls and it's a long hard road...

but they are doing it...and I don't hear her complain one bit...

I love her for it...

SHE IS A WARRIOR

I have a lot of warriors in my life...

My Aunt Jane who loves me despite all my stumbles and shows me how to be a better person just by living her life...she is the best person I know

JayVee kicks me in the ass when I need it...both on and off the bike...she loves and supports me and pulls no punches whether it is my weight or something stupid I am doing...

my Revolution Studio girls: Marvelous Mel, KuteKim, Sweet Charisse, Sydney Sunshine, Jen the Awesome...they make me find my inner warrior in spin and get me thinking about how I can improve my life outside the studio...

GOTTESS is always in my corner...even when she needs to help me handle GOTT...

My friend DivineDawn has taught me how to be a good football mama...hell she is taught me just how to be a good mama and person...she is a warrior for her kids and her marriage is amazing...and she is beautiful...and I need her in my life...

I have so many amazing beautiful friends...I have wonderful children I love that I have taught or that are the children of my friends...I see them do amazing things every day...

we are all warriors...some of us have HUGE battles to fight (cancer, death, weight) and some of us have small ones...but inside of us we can all be strong and power through...

Find the warrior inside you and kick whatever obstacle that is in front of you in the ass...

because you can...

Inspiration Song: "The Warrior" by Scandal...a little 80's song that is about love but these lyrics ring true:

shootin' at the walls of heartache, bang, bang, I am the warrior
yes I am the warrior and victory is mine
The warrior...the warrior

and because tomorrow is Warrior Wednesday at Revolution Studio and whenever I go and spin with Sunshine Sydney I leave feeling like a real Warrior...because I just defeated anything inside me that says a 50 year old woman who has gained back some weight can't kick the bike in the ass...

Bye Darlings...you know the old saying "pull on your big girl panties and deal with it"?  Well my Warriors...PULL ON YOUR WONDER WOMAN UNDEROOS AND KICK IT IN THE ASS...nothing can defeat you...and if you need help I will pull on my Wonder Woman Underoos and my gold bracelets and we can kick whatever needs kicking...