This holiday season, I find myself thinking about expressions of love. So it will seem strange that I would be thinking about love and the LIE. You see, I have a long commute to work, and I don’t enjoy driving.  The Long Island Expressway or the LIE is indeed very long, flat, and crowded.

Christmas music kept me company as I drove to work this morning and as I sang along alone in my minivan, I thought about all the others passing me by. A work truck, an SUV, another minivan (yes we are everywhere)… I felt a connection to them all. Here we all are, doing what we have to do, heading out into the world to do the best we can for the people we love. Even though it’s a commonplace thing to do, it is also a shared experience one that is bound by commitment and (hopefully) love.

Even though I am sure he would rather not be on a ladder at the end of his workday here he is doing this for us. This is love.

This may seem strange but I think it’s really important to honor yourself.  As I go through my weight loss journey, I think it’s important for me to honor and appreciate the things I do every day for the people I love. I think it’s also important to honor my rituals for self-care: making my lunch, prepping my vegetables, going to Spin Class, laying out my clothes, even using sunscreen. Strange, because in the past those are things I just took for granted, of course, I get into my car and make the commute, of course, I make my lunch, and… well, you get the picture. Now I think about these things differently, if I want to be there for my loved ones I have to be there for myself too.

These are all my thoughts, and in many ways, they are paths to self-discovery as I go through this journey. Wherever you are in this process, I hope you are appreciating all that you are and all that you give every day.