Life's Lessons

Good morning on this lovely day, the day after Easter.  I'm hoping that everyone had a great day yesterday...and that no one overdid the chocolate or woke up with a tummy ache.  I have to say that this was my first Easter without a chocolate bunny or a Cadbury egg (love those yolks in the middle).  But, I really do have to take some of these pounds off...not for vanity's sake, but for my health.  I must have put on 25 or more pounds...maybe more...since I stopped smoking, and it really does affect me.  I find myself getting short of breath whenever I climb stairs, and I just cannot move as fast as I used to. At first, I told myself I would only eat what I wanted until those first few days of nicotine withdrawal had passed, but that was nine months ago yesterday.  What's my excuse now?   So, as much as I wanted to give in, as much as I yearned, I had a low calorie chocolate pudding to satisfy that urge.  


Moderation is really something I have never learned. I stopped smoking and began eating...and eating...and didn't care that I was ballooning out because I was satisfying that urge; I wanted that gratification.  I have been told that I have what they call an 'addictive personality'. I know that is true.  There was a time it was nail polish. I bought and bought, but never used. It was the thrill of 'buying' it that got to me.  There was also a time I drank 20 cups of coffee a day...way too much.  Then there was alcohol, cigarettes, lipstick, even now with my books.   Perhaps this all stems from being the child of an alcoholic father; I don't know.   Moderation has never been one of my keywords. It is my yet.  It is something I still need to learn...and right about now, I feel I am on the right track.  I fought the battle  yesterday and won.  To me, it was a major win on my part for Easter has always been a 'chocolate' day for me.

We should never kid ourselves into thinking we know it all.  Life and learning are both processes.  Learning never ends, and there will always be lessons to learn.  Continuous learning is one of the ways in which we stay young.  It adds balance to the knowledge and skills we have already mastered.  It opens doors to new humility.