Also, I think when one is forced to become the parent of one's parent -- someone you think growing up who will always be there as you have known them, you start looking at yourself & your life a whole lot differently. How stupid I was all those years to let my insecurities over being fat, how other people saw me, and so on -- how stupid I was to limit myself & my experiences because of that! Life is just too short & (I believe) you only get one. You can bet I'm resolved not to spend the next 40 years worrying about all that crap.
How right you are, Carolyn. My mother died nearly three years ago, but was more or less childlike for some time before that (brain tumour). It really does put things in perspective -- not just weight issues, but work, money, men, etc. Life is very short, and if you want to enjoy it, you have to get rid of anything that's stopping you from being happy. For a lot of woman, that's a silly obsession with weight and looks and how other people judge you. My mother's illness and subsequent death made me vow to enjoy life to the fullest and not to miss out on anything. So far, I think I'm doing an OK job -- and I know my mother would be proud of the choices I've made.
