LESSONS FROM LUCY
Monday, November 14, 2011 - Comments 1
By Valerie Cunningham
I’m not a big TV lover, but I do appreciate some of the classics of yesteryear. Lately, one of my guilty pleasures has been to tune in to re-runs of the ever-popular 1950’s sitcom, “I Love Lucy.” I remember watching it when I was a youngster home sick from school (or just playing hooky.) Recently I flipped upon it and it has become a semi-regular, 22-minute comical escape from the real world. Lucy, the fiery red head, and her blonde partner-in-crime, Ethel, always find themselves in a mess; yet creatively manage to wiggle their way out.
A couple of weeks ago, an episode caught my attention. It began with Ricky, Ethel, and Fred talking about how over the years they had put on a few pounds. Lucy denied that such a thing had happened to her, and demanded that a scale be brought out into the middle of the living room floor just to prove her point. Her husband and friends were happy to oblige, and much to her chagrin, Lucy had indeed gained some weight since her wedding day 10 years prior.
As to be expected, Lucy devised a plan to loose the weight, in order to fit into a particular size costume, so that she could be featured in Ricky’s upcoming show. She’s had 5 days to do it.
Running laps around the floor of her New York City apartment building, dining on celery leaves, and spending the day in a steam room to sweat the pounds away, Lucy eventually squeezes into the sequin-studded ditty and makes her grand appearance in the show, only to be carried away on a stretcher and ordered to 3 weeks in bed, due to malnutrition and exhaustion.
How many times do we fall for crazy diet schemes and desperate measures in order to fulfill a weight loss goal? How many times have we been determined to fit into that bridesmaid dress or look “just so” for that ever-so-important reunion? How many times have we refused to buy a certain item of clothing because we simply would not be caught dead wearing that size? Sure, Lucy’s plan worked, temporarily, but she would quickly have long-term consequences to deal with.
What I found so interesting with all of this is that before there was any mention of weight, Lucy was perfectly fine with her size. As a matter of fact, she didn’t believe that she had put on any pounds. She was comfortable in her skin, completely satisfied, until…the dreaded scale and unrealistic sized costume made their way into her life.
It is so easy to get caught up in what others (society, the media, fashion designers) say we should weigh or what size we should wear. What will it take for us to learn the lesson to be comfortable in our own skin, regardless of what the scale says or what number is printed on the tag of our clothing?
Lessons from Lucy. I’m sure there will be more. Stay tuned…
Valerie Cunningham is a wife and homeschool mom. She is in her 6th year of recovery from a 22 year battle with anorexia. Currently she leads a support group for disordered eaters at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California.