eatthefrostingfirst

 My lesson of the week is one I learned from a lazy night of watching the Hallmark Channel. Tis the season and all when people meet or are reunited, a local restaurant needs to be saved or the town Christmas parade is in jeopardy and the two save the day and fall in love at the end. It's all hokey and a complete escape from the insanity of the world we are all living in. So the main character is now a successful wealthy CEO (obviously) but was a nerdy overweight child in high school with few friends. Ta da- he is now confident, handsome and starring in a movie. So yea, I realize this isn't for real but he looked at his HS photo and said yea, I was insecure and figuring out who I was back then. And now I know who I am.  So I know this isn't a lightbulb going off kind of moment but my point is this- you can change.  You do change.  You grow and learn and realize what's important and what is utter nonsense. You find your people and grow away from the ones who don't lif...

 When people make fun of someone getting beaten- When people hang signs in support of hating people because of their religion, race or sexual preference- When kids, as young as elementary school, are bullying other kids simply because they don’t like them we need to stop and take a closer look at what the fuck we are doing to make this world a better one. I’m so disgusted and I know many of you are as well. I’m a Jewish woman who is now listening to ignorant people say how they hate Jews. And thanks to social media- the ignorance is spreading like wild fires.  I have friends who’s skin color is different than mine- and friends who have different sexual preferences than mine- I have friends with different political beliefs So be it. People- you do you.  My town’s Facebook page recently had a post about kids being bullied- at age 8 and 9. I read so many replies about similar situations and I was in disbelief. If you’re child is that young and bullying someone they are learn...

I was always taught to be strong. Stay strong; my Mom would tell me. I loved my Mom. She turned into my best friend. I loved talking with her and hearing her advice and thoughts. But I'm not sure staying strong is always the best advice. Or more so, do we always need to stay strong? I wear my heart on my sleeve. I'm an open book. I cry openly. I feel heavily. I'm sensitive (sometimes to a fault). I also think I'm strong. But not all the time. And that's okay. Because there are times that we cannot always hold it together. There are times that it's hard to be the one in control. To keep our emotions in check. To hold up ourselves and others. I was in my early 30's and at a funeral of a young woman. It was tragic and sad and I was uncontrollably sobbing. My Mom held my hand and told me to hold it together. "Be strong" she said. This has stuck with me for years. Why did I have to be strong? Why was it wrong to show my sadness and how I was overcome ...

There is so much I say each year about Pinktober. Mostly I say pink ribbons don't save lives, early detection saves lives. That being said, I'm all about awareness because, clearly, no one would know that early detection saves lives, if not for awareness. I was 41 when I was first diagnosed. My second mammogram EVER found early stage breast cancer. Stage 0 actually; also known as DCIS (Ductal Carcinoma In Situ). Yes, Stage 0 sounds like a good outcome in terms of cancer stages- and it is. Yet my DCIS was extensive and found later to be aggressive. I chose a unilateral mastectomy and continued with 5 years of Tamoxifen (an estrogen modulator.) This came with all fun side effects like ovarian cysts, overnight menopause, hot flashes, just to name a few. It was no walk in the park but comparing to what I now know, it kinda was. (Relatively speaking of course.) Due to being high risk, I had the luxury of going for yearly breast MRI's along with my yearly mammogram. My breasts a...