Bouncing up

Hello High Heelers,

Yesterday one of my friends managed to manipulate me into jumping on a trampoline with his 4-year-old niece – I think mostly because he didn’t want to be bouncing up and down talking about princess dresses, Barbies and tiaras, and partially because he realised there’d be much entertainment in watching me attempt to understand a 4-year-old’s logic, while jumping in a tight, short skirt, after having spent 2 painful hours at gym that morning. Crafty one, my friend.

After falling over numerous times (mostly from being not-so-gently nudged by said 4-year-old), I started to wonder if it’s called a trampoline because you get trampled, or because it’s impossible to retain any ladylike dignity when falling in a frock. After much bouncing I found myself completely and utterly exhausted. Keeping up with a sugar-loaded youngling, is challenging. While lying flat on my back (still bouncing somewhat) searching for an exit plan, the precocious little one announced pointing at a tree: “That’s an owl house there. Owls are nocturnal.” What? Nocturnal is a big word. Could someone please explain when reading the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online, on one’s iPad mini, become a prerequisite for nursery school entry? I was certainly stupider as a kid, in fact, I’m stupider as an adult, than that 4-year-old.

In all honesty, I had so much fun playing with the beautiful little girl. She took me through her secret garden paths, spun around for me in her magic, special dress that her granny made her (for ‘special occasions’), she had running races using my scarf as her finish line and truly believed that she outran me (for those of you who know how competitive I am when it comes to sport will know how big a deal it is that I let her win!) In all reality it was refreshing to see everything around us as amazing – to see the world through her sharp, blue, fantastical eyes.

To a child everything is amazing. Everything is special. But as we grow up (or do we grown down?) we start to take things for granted. We start to take people for granted. And worst, we start to take ourselves for granted. We become so critical. I remember standing in front of my mirror a few weeks ago criticising a million things about the way I look. And lately I’ve been so hard on my intellect, my healing process (that I wish could be quicker), and the ‘stupid’ decisions I make and have made. Fair enough – I’m not perfect and I’ll never be perfect, no matter how many kilograms I lose, how much I mould my body through working out, or how much I invest in developing my brain. Attaining true wisdom and comfort in ones’ being is a journey of a lifetime.

This week as you stand in front of the mirror try see yourself in the eyes of your younger self. When I was little all I wanted was to be big, to adorn myself with beautiful things, to apply make-up every day, to go to work like a big person, and to stand tall in pretty heels. I am now that woman. In fact, I’m more than the woman I imagined in my younger mind. I have more dimensions, more emotions, more depth, more everything. I am that grown up that I used to watch with amazement, wishing I could be her. And in that realisation, I am amazing. And you are too.

Let’s try drop the harsh criticism of ourselves. Let’s grown down a little and love ourselves for the simple reasons. Let’s be less hard. Let’s look up to ourselves. Change what you know you need to, accept what you know you can’t change and love your whole, even if it has a few holes.

Have a wonderful week.

Yours in heels,
Jo

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