Two Years and Going Strong!

Bleeding Hearts Along the Burlington Bikeway - Burlington, Vermont

May 21, 2012

This is a Healthy Living blog update.  If you receive the posts automatically via email and are ONLY interested in the travel updates, feel free to skip this one!!

I'm not sure exactly why or if perhaps, I'm just not looking in the right places, but we don't see a lot of Bleeding Hearts where I live.  I know where some can be found along the trails in my mountains, but that's about it.  I think they are one of God's most delicate creations and can't believe anyone could look at something like this and question whether or not there IS a Master Creator!  I found this plant along the Burlington Bikeway and found it to be one of the most perfectly formed I'd ever encountered.  Every single flower was just exquisite!  

As I stood mesmerized, I was reminded of more than one folklore story about how the bleeding heart got its name, but today, I'm writing my own.  

On May 14, 2010, "Gains and Losses: Life through Sharon Eyes" began when I hit publish for the first time and started with the words, "I love to write, I always will."   I was extremely unhappy with the 30 pounds I'd regained after having successfully lost 65 in 2006-2007 and maintained that loss for a couple of years.   I felt as if I'd tried everything to get my mojo back and nothing, absolutely NOTHING, was working.   I'd like to say that six months later, I was right back at my goal weight, but we all know that isn't true.  Life has very much happened and has included pain, death, illness, forward progress quickly followed by periods of total laziness.  But through it all, there has been constant support from so many of you that I wouldn't even begin naming names.  Along the way, others of you have joined that group and I'm sad to say that some have faded away.   

I'd always kept the faith that at just the right time, something would click and thankfully, last November, it did!  By then, I was up 40 pounds from my lowest weight in 2007 and 35 from my goal weight.   Although I didn't make it quite back to goal by the blog's second anniversary, I was within six pounds.   And I'll be at goal by my birthday on July 30th.  

What does this have to do with Bleeding Hearts?   That plant along the bikeway had at least eight stems, each with 8-14 perfectly formed bleeding hearts extending out from the base.  At first glance, they all would appear identical, but one need only take a couple of steps closer to see that every single one of them was completely different.  Not only were they ALL DIFFERENT SIZES, but their shapes were unique, the lines ran in different directions and yes, even the "blood" was many shades of pink!

Bleeding Hearts in Faulkner Park, Woodstock, Vermont

May 26, 2012

Exactly like all of us!   We blog in the Weight Loss/Healthy Living/Fitness community because our "hearts" have that in common.  We want to be at a healthy weight, eat correctly and maintain exercise routines that make us the best we can be.  Our roots are the same!  Our stems extend differently!  I'm still anxiously awaiting the day I can claim an active BlogFriend in every state and province!  Traveling has taught me we do things differently in different places and I love learning about that from you. 

But when you look at each unique heart, one-by-one, you'll immediately see how different, how intricately made and how absolutely gorgeous each one truly is!  No matter what size it is, no matter how its "lines" run, no matter what shade of pink it is - IT'S STILL BEAUTIFUL!   And so are you!   And so am I!   And each one of us "bleeds."  We bleed when we hurt, we bleed when someone we love hurts, we bleed when we see pain/sickness/suffering/devastation in our world.  We bleed at LOT!  And we should - sadly, there is lots in our world over which we should "bleed."

But the heart is strong.   And it's resilient!   It bleeds and then it continues to grow.   Let's take our "bleeding hearts," keep them side by side, connected at the stem and deeply rooted in the base of our desire for healthy living. Let's support each other unconditionally.   I have certainly found that from you over the last two years and I plan to continue drawing on that support for quite some time to come.   I certainly hope you have felt it from me.  

Thank you for two wonderful years of writing!

 November 26, 2011 - 35 pounds from goal!

 May 1, 2012 - Six pounds from goal!

Can you see the difference?

The first picture was taken by Mr. B on the day after Thanksgiving also now known as the day I began the 17 Day Diet.  The second picture was taken by my friend, Judi@Blue Roads to Hiking Trails.