Love Where It Hurts

Hard Emails

“This is one of the hardest emails I have ever written…I am swallowing my pride and facing my fears. I am asking for help.” Her email immediately caught my attention. Opening it, I discovered my dear friend Leslie was at the end of herself and was desperate for something, anything, to change. In one of […]

Running is Redemption

Image of Michael and Ruthie Dean

On Saturday, thousands of people-runners, people that would qualify as ‘elderly’, costume-clad individuals, & even non-athletes-awoke before dawn and gathered around Centeniel Park for the annual Country Music Marathon and Half Marathon. Adrenaline & the god-aweful smell from the porta potties wafted over the streets; people checked their watches obsessively counting down ’til race time; […]

Healing Shame

playground

  Lunchtime. 5th grade. {When is middle school ever easy?} My friend Caroline and I carry our lunches in brown paper bags outside to the playground. We talk about what fifth graders talk about: movies, boys, nail polish, and our (insert eye roll) exasperating teachers & parents. Then, we hear it. “Here comes fat big Ruth. […]

The Courage to Change | A Weight Loss Journey

On September 18, 2011 a visit to the doctor revealed a shocking number when he stepped on the scale: 408 pounds. Blake Mitchamore had battled his weight the majority of his life, but this was an all-time high. At 5’9″ the extra 200+ pounds he carried was threatening to kill him. He couldn’t stand up for more […]

The Comparison Battle Part 2 | Hips and the “F” Word

As a result of the flood of responses from Life as a MRS | The Comparison Battle,{click here to read} I decided to continue the discussion with one area of comparison most women struggle with: weight and body image – or hips and the “F” word. If you struggle with negative body image and constantly compare yourself to […]