Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

October 23, 2007

Today’s Announcement

Storytime Tapestry is a free e-zine, however donations are always needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   You can make your donations to paypal at: winterose@videotron.ca, or if you would prefer to use the mail system contact the publisher at the same email address: winterose@videotron.ca

Today’s Stories

~**~**~

 ~**~**~
 Do You Long For The Perfect Body?

Cheryl Williams

Close your eyes and imagine with me for a moment. Imagine that you look exactly the way you want to look. This could be different for everyone. Some women may want to be lean and toned, while some may long to be a bit more curvaceous. Some men may long to be lean, while others prefer a more muscular, buff look.

How would it change your life, if you looked exactly the way you want to? Have you ever thought about this? Would everybody like you more? Would you make more money at your job? Would you have more friends? Have more fun? Would success come easier to you? Would you be more lovable? Would people hurt you less? Would your personality change? Would your values change?

These are questions that we don't usually take the time to ask ourselves when we are in the quest to lose weight. We seem to have an underlying assumption that our lives will be perfect if we attain a "perfect" body. Well, let me tell you a story...

There was once a woman who had been overweight all of her life. She had a major food addiction that was the result of a lot of childhood trauma. All of her life, she longed to lose weight. She would go on diet after diet, and lose a few pounds only to gain them right back. It was an endless cycle that seemed to result in her gaining even more weight, because she would eat to deal with her shame. She always had the idea in her mind that if she lost weight and got down to that "perfect" size, her life would also be "perfect". She would be prettier, sexier, more confident, more loved, more successful. Finally, she was able to lose over a hundred pounds, and a funny thing happened...

Her life changed, but not for the better. She found herself inside of a body she was unfamiliar with, and as a result, she began feeling like a stranger to herself. She became flirtatious, and became addicted to the new found attention she was receiving. Her lack of boundaries plunged her into a life that was both scary and devastating. Her husband ended up leaving her because he was so jealous of the attention she was receiving from other men. Friends and family seemed to no longer be able to relate to her because they were used to her being fat and withdrawn...not slender and confident.

She began to feel alone, and even when people did like her, she began to question as to whether they liked her because of who she was or because of what she looked like. This woman's "perfect" life as a result of losing weight was far from perfect. And the disappointment drove her to return to her old ways. Slowly, she began to gain the weight back, and once again she found her place of "comfort".

What do you expect to find at the end of your weight loss journey? If you expect to find perfection, then think again. Nobody's life is perfect, just as no "body" is perfect. Perfection is in the eyes of the beholder, and there is no way that you can please everyone. It is totally impossible. Strive to please yourself, and not be bound by the expectations and the opinions of others. And, do not have unrealistic expectations about losing weight. Yes, many things will improve with weight loss, especially the way you feel physically. Just remember that it needs to be done in baby steps, so that your mind and emotions can catch up with your new body. The change needs to be more than pounds lost. It needs to be a change inside and out for the effects to be lasting.

Cheryl Williams

politicalgirl04@aol.com

~**~**~

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

  Across The Rubicon

Harley Sutton

            How long the lonesome reach into an empty sky,
            How deep the roots sunken beneath the ground?
            Stretch toward some goal without knowing why.
            Reach deep for something precious not yet found.

Put on your coat of chainmail to blunt all assault.
            Toss away the fake holy grail that you did buy.
            You can't pin the blame on those that weren't at fault,
            And love cannot be bought so it doesn't pay to try.

            Stepping stones inside your head led to where you are.
            Deep waters threatened as they thundered far below.
            You crossed the Rubicon without a single battle scar.
            Now end the pointless war in your head and let it go.

How high into the atmosphere can the Phoenix soar
            To escape the cat-o-nine-tails' proverbial forty lashes?
            And why should he need to go through this once more,
            When he has already fought his way out of the ashes?

            How wide can the circle be that holds before breaking,
            As your dreams fly away from you in bursting bubbles?
            How low on the totem pole are those you are foresaking
            In hope to drive a stake into all your imaginary troubles?

            Most thoughts are shallow enough to wade in.
            And they aren't worth a nickel as a trade-in.
            Destroy that brittle shell that you stayed in.
            Get rid of the toys, and the pen you played in.

            Go out there and grab the world by the fangs or by the tail.
            Then go out and climb the highest mountain you can find.
            It doesn't matter a bit whether you succeed or you fail.
            What matters is to conquer the fears inside your mind......

Harley Sutton

lsutton@hot.rr.com

~**~**~

 HE LOVED US FIRST

       Hope Grizzard

Sometimes,

                Life seems unfair no matter what we do.

    It seems the more we love, as Paul,

The less we be loved.

  There are times when we have given

 Our all to win someone.

        It appears as though we're surrounded on very side.

Darkness is all about us,

       And no light is coming through,

To show us        

The way out of this dilemma

In which we are in.

                  Then all of a sudden we see                 

The Light shining through

   The trees of discouragement.

        We lift our heads toward the Light, 

     And feel the   

LOVE OF GOD

All around us,

Everywhere we look, it is there!

       Can you imagine the way

 The LORD felt,

     When HE was giving 

     HIS Life's blood

      To ransom you and me?

      The more HE loved,

          The less HE was loved in return.

           People turned away from HIM,

           They spat upon HIS face,

          And drove nails into

            HIS hands and feet.

   Y E T    

With HIS undying Love,

HE looks up to Heaven

And says, to the FATHER,

"Forgive them,

For they know not what they do."

Oh, how much HE loves you,

Oh, how much HE loves me.

Because HE first loved us.

Hope Grizzard

copyright(c) 2002 dhg grizzard collections

praise19991121@yahoo.com

Readers Feedback

Re. The Last Afternoon by Fred Hose.  Beautiful and moving!  I could feel the love!           Louise

Re. Fall Festivals by Hartson Dowd.  Beautiful, Thank you.  This season feeds a contradiction of passions in my heart and mind---------the love of the colors and joy of the harvest and then the hatred and fear of the barren cold dead land that lies just ahead on the calendar.  I look for consolation hoping that our dear Lord wanted us to take a holiday from toil and to sit by the fires come wintertime, to enjoy peaceful quiet while strength and spirit is renewed in the land and in our souls.   Louise

Storytime Tapestry Angels

Angels on earth, they exist they are out there.  Angels come in all ages, shapes and sizes, civil status, and religion.  Their nature is love and their purpose is giving to the less fortunate of this world.  Storytime Tapestry angels are no exception.  These angels are loyal members who have contributed to the upkeep of Storytime Tapestry newsletter so that Storytime Tapestry can continue come to your email box 350 days of the year.

Here is our Storytime Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime Tapestry up and running.

Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider, Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd, Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw, Carol Meeks, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller