During my early teenage years, when I wasn’t busy wishing I was Olivia Newton-John, I was busy wishing I was Marcia Brady. How I longed for the perfect suburban home with the mod orange and avocado kitchen, sliding glass doors in the family room that opened to a perfectly shorn Astroturf lawn (on which rain never fell) and a far-out den where I could hang beaded curtains. Not to mention a frilly, pink bedroom and sisters to share it with.
I envied not only Marcia’s blonde hair, parted down the middle and poker-straight, falling just above the bra line, but also her perfect little snub nose, at least until brother Peter severely dented it with an errant football. I too wanted to kiss Desi Arnaz Jr. and have Davy Jones perform at my prom. And how convenient would it have been to have a live-in maid to crack corny jokes every time things in the household got a little tense?
But alas, it was not meant to be. And that’s just fine, considering that no one could compare to Marcia as played to perfection by Maureen McCormick. Not only is McCormick now middle-age, but she has just written the proverbial former-child-star book.
Being a fan of all things Brady (especially Marcia), I couldn’t help but pick up a copy of McCormick’s book, “Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My Own Voice.” She shares how her on-the-set family, although not without its share of dysfunction, was so much saner than her real-life family. And that’s saying something when your television dad was portrayed by Robert Reed, a Shakespearean actor who had frustrations with the sitcom while also laboring to keep his homosexuality in the closet.
Ironically, while countless young girls who grew up watching the Brady Bunch were wishing to be Marcia, Maureen McCormick was experiencing it firsthand, yet wishing the same thing — that she too could have a life as perfect as Marcia’s, where every problem is happily resolved within a 22-minute sitcom.
In her book, McCormick details the typical behind-the-scenes shenanigans that we readers have come to expect from these autobiographical celebrity tomes. How she and Eve Plumb, who played Jan Brady, were actually close friends in real life and not insecure, jealous rivals. How kind Florence Henderson and Robert Reed were to the kids on the show. But there was that time when Henderson went on a real-life date with a lovelorn Barry Williams (he played her oldest stepson Greg) and kissed him goodnight.
As it turns out, for all her brave, braces-faced smiles on the show, Maureen McCormick had a lot to cry about. Seems she lived with a nagging fear of someday being diagnosed with syphilis, the disease that caused the dementia and deaths of her grandmother and her mother. For years it had been a deep, dark family secret that understandably devastated her when finally brought to light.
This familial revelation in turn caused her to wander down a path of destruction so severe that, by all accounts, she shouldn’t have lived long enough to tell about it. You name it: drugs, sex and, yes, even some rock ’n’ roll defined Maureen McCormick’s life for more years than she’d like to count. She credits her own family, her husband who has stood by her, her daughter and her faith for making her who she is now — a mature, responsible adult who is well on the road to recovery from a tormented and painful past.
It just goes to show that those family sitcoms aren’t always as idyllic as they seem. Marcia Brady always seemed to have it all. How nice that all these trials and tribulations later, Maureen McCormick can finally start to enjoy what that feels like.
Robyn McCloskey’s column appears each week in My Community Trend. She can be reached at crmccloskey@verizon.net.
I envied not only Marcia’s blonde hair, parted down the middle and poker-straight, falling just above the bra line, but also her perfect little snub nose, at least until brother Peter severely dented it with an errant football. I too wanted to kiss Desi Arnaz Jr. and have Davy Jones perform at my prom. And how convenient would it have been to have a live-in maid to crack corny jokes every time things in the household got a little tense?
But alas, it was not meant to be. And that’s just fine, considering that no one could compare to Marcia as played to perfection by Maureen McCormick. Not only is McCormick now middle-age, but she has just written the proverbial former-child-star book.
Being a fan of all things Brady (especially Marcia), I couldn’t help but pick up a copy of McCormick’s book, “Here’s the Story: Surviving Marcia Brady and Finding My Own Voice.” She shares how her on-the-set family, although not without its share of dysfunction, was so much saner than her real-life family. And that’s saying something when your television dad was portrayed by Robert Reed, a Shakespearean actor who had frustrations with the sitcom while also laboring to keep his homosexuality in the closet.
Ironically, while countless young girls who grew up watching the Brady Bunch were wishing to be Marcia, Maureen McCormick was experiencing it firsthand, yet wishing the same thing — that she too could have a life as perfect as Marcia’s, where every problem is happily resolved within a 22-minute sitcom.
In her book, McCormick details the typical behind-the-scenes shenanigans that we readers have come to expect from these autobiographical celebrity tomes. How she and Eve Plumb, who played Jan Brady, were actually close friends in real life and not insecure, jealous rivals. How kind Florence Henderson and Robert Reed were to the kids on the show. But there was that time when Henderson went on a real-life date with a lovelorn Barry Williams (he played her oldest stepson Greg) and kissed him goodnight.
As it turns out, for all her brave, braces-faced smiles on the show, Maureen McCormick had a lot to cry about. Seems she lived with a nagging fear of someday being diagnosed with syphilis, the disease that caused the dementia and deaths of her grandmother and her mother. For years it had been a deep, dark family secret that understandably devastated her when finally brought to light.
This familial revelation in turn caused her to wander down a path of destruction so severe that, by all accounts, she shouldn’t have lived long enough to tell about it. You name it: drugs, sex and, yes, even some rock ’n’ roll defined Maureen McCormick’s life for more years than she’d like to count. She credits her own family, her husband who has stood by her, her daughter and her faith for making her who she is now — a mature, responsible adult who is well on the road to recovery from a tormented and painful past.
It just goes to show that those family sitcoms aren’t always as idyllic as they seem. Marcia Brady always seemed to have it all. How nice that all these trials and tribulations later, Maureen McCormick can finally start to enjoy what that feels like.
Robyn McCloskey’s column appears each week in My Community Trend. She can be reached at crmccloskey@verizon.net.
Posted by By Robyn McCloskey @ 2:57 PM
Permalink |
Post a comment
When I started working as a reporter for the Star and Home News, I saw it as dream job for a fresh college grad: Plenty of writing experience, and plenty of time in some of Philly's best neighborhoods.
Today, after more than two years on the job, I still feel that way. But I also quickly realized that I had gotten myself into a whole lot more than just an entry-level journalism job.
The people living in our neighborhoods, from Fishtown to Fairmount and Manayunk to Kensington, are fiercely loyal when it comes to their stomping grounds.
Where outsiders see one rowhome-lined street fade to the next, our residents see distinct, iconic neighborhoods rich with individual histories, traditions and heroes.
And those differences are more than just in the mind, too.
It seems at times that, with everything we cover ó from zoning proposals and crimes to political races and village gatherings ó each community has its own distinct reaction.
As far as those litmus test-type issues go, it's hard to think of any issue that has rankled people and stoked civic activism more than the ongoing saga of SugarHouse Casino, proposed for the Fishtown-Northern Liberties border along the Delaware River.
It's an issue that has pitted politicians against politicians, neighbors against neighbors, unions against unions, and challenged the foundations of longstanding civic groups while underscoring the diverse population of blue-collar and white-collar residents who inhabit our neighborhoods.
That was clear this week as a group opposed to neighborhood slots ó the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance ó erected a billboard along Frankford Avenue in Fishtown with a direct message: "Get Jobs Fast. Move Slots Now."
Meanwhile, the SugarHouse Casino folks were planning their second annual "Picnic in the Park," a unity celebration for slots advocates who are treated to free food and music at Penn Treaty park (more than two years after receiving a gaming license from the state, SugarHouse has yet to break ground).
That event was rained out, but last year saw a hearty crowd in attendance. It also ended ugly, with some sour words and bloody noses. Not exactly a, well, picnic in the park.
Still, it's that kind of intense, in-your-face passion that has driven people to take a strong stance on this issue, whether it's expressed through long days and nights of negotiating with the casino to get the best deal for the neighborhood, or by championing die-hard efforts to repel the well-funded gaming industry.
And while Fishtown and Northern Liberties are the neighborhoods most immediately impacted by the casino, we've had plenty of passionate responses from places as far off as the Art Museum area and Bridesburg.
It's also a passion that seems to consume most anything that happens in our neighborhoods ó including turning to our papers each week for the latest neighborhood news, something that has been a habit among many readers for more than three decades.
That passion, expressed in countless letters, e-mails, phone calls and run-ins on the street, taught me that these papers really belong not to any company or editor, but to the neighborhoods and people that they serve.
For years, the Star and Home News have been the epitome of small-town community newspapers, existing only on the stoops and store counters where you could find them.
Now, by God, we've been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and we invite you, oh wide digital audience, to contribute to the tradition and community passion that have driven our papers since a ragtag group of writers and publishers got together in a Fishtown kitchen more than 30 years ago and decided that these were neighborhoods that deserved their own newspapers.
If there's one thing that has changed in those decades, it's that these areas deserve good reporting more than ever.
Whether you're a longtime reader keeping tabs on the neighborhood news while at work, or an outsider who wants to learn more about the happenings in some of Philadelphia's most dynamic neighborhoods, we hope to provide a place where the spirit of our neighborhoods shines through.
It's a big task, and we no doubt stand on the shoulders of heroes who truly were dedicated to their communities. But once you've experienced the passion that makes these Philly neighborhoods what they are, it's hard not to pay that back with a little passion of your own.
Brian Rademaekers
Managing Editor, Star and Home News
Today, after more than two years on the job, I still feel that way. But I also quickly realized that I had gotten myself into a whole lot more than just an entry-level journalism job.
The people living in our neighborhoods, from Fishtown to Fairmount and Manayunk to Kensington, are fiercely loyal when it comes to their stomping grounds.
Where outsiders see one rowhome-lined street fade to the next, our residents see distinct, iconic neighborhoods rich with individual histories, traditions and heroes.
And those differences are more than just in the mind, too.
It seems at times that, with everything we cover ó from zoning proposals and crimes to political races and village gatherings ó each community has its own distinct reaction.
As far as those litmus test-type issues go, it's hard to think of any issue that has rankled people and stoked civic activism more than the ongoing saga of SugarHouse Casino, proposed for the Fishtown-Northern Liberties border along the Delaware River.
It's an issue that has pitted politicians against politicians, neighbors against neighbors, unions against unions, and challenged the foundations of longstanding civic groups while underscoring the diverse population of blue-collar and white-collar residents who inhabit our neighborhoods.
That was clear this week as a group opposed to neighborhood slots ó the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance ó erected a billboard along Frankford Avenue in Fishtown with a direct message: "Get Jobs Fast. Move Slots Now."
Meanwhile, the SugarHouse Casino folks were planning their second annual "Picnic in the Park," a unity celebration for slots advocates who are treated to free food and music at Penn Treaty park (more than two years after receiving a gaming license from the state, SugarHouse has yet to break ground).
That event was rained out, but last year saw a hearty crowd in attendance. It also ended ugly, with some sour words and bloody noses. Not exactly a, well, picnic in the park.
Still, it's that kind of intense, in-your-face passion that has driven people to take a strong stance on this issue, whether it's expressed through long days and nights of negotiating with the casino to get the best deal for the neighborhood, or by championing die-hard efforts to repel the well-funded gaming industry.
And while Fishtown and Northern Liberties are the neighborhoods most immediately impacted by the casino, we've had plenty of passionate responses from places as far off as the Art Museum area and Bridesburg.
It's also a passion that seems to consume most anything that happens in our neighborhoods ó including turning to our papers each week for the latest neighborhood news, something that has been a habit among many readers for more than three decades.
That passion, expressed in countless letters, e-mails, phone calls and run-ins on the street, taught me that these papers really belong not to any company or editor, but to the neighborhoods and people that they serve.
For years, the Star and Home News have been the epitome of small-town community newspapers, existing only on the stoops and store counters where you could find them.
Now, by God, we've been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and we invite you, oh wide digital audience, to contribute to the tradition and community passion that have driven our papers since a ragtag group of writers and publishers got together in a Fishtown kitchen more than 30 years ago and decided that these were neighborhoods that deserved their own newspapers.
If there's one thing that has changed in those decades, it's that these areas deserve good reporting more than ever.
Whether you're a longtime reader keeping tabs on the neighborhood news while at work, or an outsider who wants to learn more about the happenings in some of Philadelphia's most dynamic neighborhoods, we hope to provide a place where the spirit of our neighborhoods shines through.
It's a big task, and we no doubt stand on the shoulders of heroes who truly were dedicated to their communities. But once you've experienced the passion that makes these Philly neighborhoods what they are, it's hard not to pay that back with a little passion of your own.
Brian Rademaekers
Managing Editor, Star and Home News
Posted by Brian Rademaekers @ 10:38 AM
Permalink |
Post a comment
When I started working as a reporter for the Star and Home News, I saw it as dream job for a fresh college grad: Plenty of writing experience, and plenty of time in some of Philly's best neighborhoods.
Today, after more than two years on the job, I still feel that way. But I also quickly realized that I had gotten myself into a whole lot more than just an entry-level journalism job.
The people living in our neighborhoods, from Fishtown to Fairmount and Manayunk to Kensington, are fiercely loyal when it comes to their stomping grounds.
Where outsiders see one rowhome-lined street fade to the next, our residents see distinct, iconic neighborhoods rich with individual histories, traditions and heroes.
And those differences are more than just in the mind, too.
It seems at times that, with everything we cover ó from zoning proposals and crimes to political races and village gatherings ó each community has its own distinct reaction.
As far as those litmus test-type issues go, it's hard to think of any issue that has rankled people and stoked civic activism more than the ongoing saga of SugarHouse Casino, proposed for the Fishtown-Northern Liberties border along the Delaware River.
It's an issue that has pitted politicians against politicians, neighbors against neighbors, unions against unions, and challenged the foundations of longstanding civic groups while underscoring the diverse population of blue-collar and white-collar residents who inhabit our neighborhoods.
That was clear this week as a group opposed to neighborhood slots ó the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance ó erected a billboard along Frankford Avenue in Fishtown with a direct message: "Get Jobs Fast. Move Slots Now."
Meanwhile, the SugarHouse Casino folks were planning their second annual "Picnic in the Park," a unity celebration for slots advocates who are treated to free food and music at Penn Treaty park (more than two years after receiving a gaming license from the state, SugarHouse has yet to break ground).
That event was rained out, but last year saw a hearty crowd in attendance. It also ended ugly, with some sour words and bloody noses. Not exactly a, well, picnic in the park.
Still, it's that kind of intense, in-your-face passion that has driven people to take a strong stance on this issue, whether it's expressed through long days and nights of negotiating with the casino to get the best deal for the neighborhood, or by championing die-hard efforts to repel the well-funded gaming industry.
And while Fishtown and Northern Liberties are the neighborhoods most immediately impacted by the casino, we've had plenty of passionate responses from places as far off as the Art Museum area and Bridesburg.
It's also a passion that seems to consume most anything that happens in our neighborhoods ó including turning to our papers each week for the latest neighborhood news, something that has been a habit among many readers for more than three decades.
That passion, expressed in countless letters, e-mails, phone calls and run-ins on the street, taught me that these papers really belong not to any company or editor, but to the neighborhoods and people that they serve.
For years, the Star and Home News have been the epitome of small-town community newspapers, existing only on the stoops and store counters where you could find them.
Now, by God, we've been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and we invite you, oh wide digital audience, to contribute to the tradition and community passion that have driven our papers since a ragtag group of writers and publishers got together in a Fishtown kitchen more than 30 years ago and decided that these were neighborhoods that deserved their own newspapers.
If there's one thing that has changed in those decades, it's that these areas deserve good reporting more than ever.
Whether you're a longtime reader keeping tabs on the neighborhood news while at work, or an outsider who wants to learn more about the happenings in some of Philadelphia's most dynamic neighborhoods, we hope to provide a place where the spirit of our neighborhoods shines through.
It's a big task, and we no doubt stand on the shoulders of heroes who truly were dedicated to their communities. But once you've experienced the passion that makes these Philly neighborhoods what they are, it's hard not to pay that back with a little passion of your own.
Brian Rademaekers
Managing Editor, Star and Home News
Today, after more than two years on the job, I still feel that way. But I also quickly realized that I had gotten myself into a whole lot more than just an entry-level journalism job.
The people living in our neighborhoods, from Fishtown to Fairmount and Manayunk to Kensington, are fiercely loyal when it comes to their stomping grounds.
Where outsiders see one rowhome-lined street fade to the next, our residents see distinct, iconic neighborhoods rich with individual histories, traditions and heroes.
And those differences are more than just in the mind, too.
It seems at times that, with everything we cover ó from zoning proposals and crimes to political races and village gatherings ó each community has its own distinct reaction.
As far as those litmus test-type issues go, it's hard to think of any issue that has rankled people and stoked civic activism more than the ongoing saga of SugarHouse Casino, proposed for the Fishtown-Northern Liberties border along the Delaware River.
It's an issue that has pitted politicians against politicians, neighbors against neighbors, unions against unions, and challenged the foundations of longstanding civic groups while underscoring the diverse population of blue-collar and white-collar residents who inhabit our neighborhoods.
That was clear this week as a group opposed to neighborhood slots ó the Philadelphia Neighborhood Alliance ó erected a billboard along Frankford Avenue in Fishtown with a direct message: "Get Jobs Fast. Move Slots Now."
Meanwhile, the SugarHouse Casino folks were planning their second annual "Picnic in the Park," a unity celebration for slots advocates who are treated to free food and music at Penn Treaty park (more than two years after receiving a gaming license from the state, SugarHouse has yet to break ground).
That event was rained out, but last year saw a hearty crowd in attendance. It also ended ugly, with some sour words and bloody noses. Not exactly a, well, picnic in the park.
Still, it's that kind of intense, in-your-face passion that has driven people to take a strong stance on this issue, whether it's expressed through long days and nights of negotiating with the casino to get the best deal for the neighborhood, or by championing die-hard efforts to repel the well-funded gaming industry.
And while Fishtown and Northern Liberties are the neighborhoods most immediately impacted by the casino, we've had plenty of passionate responses from places as far off as the Art Museum area and Bridesburg.
It's also a passion that seems to consume most anything that happens in our neighborhoods ó including turning to our papers each week for the latest neighborhood news, something that has been a habit among many readers for more than three decades.
That passion, expressed in countless letters, e-mails, phone calls and run-ins on the street, taught me that these papers really belong not to any company or editor, but to the neighborhoods and people that they serve.
For years, the Star and Home News have been the epitome of small-town community newspapers, existing only on the stoops and store counters where you could find them.
Now, by God, we've been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century, and we invite you, oh wide digital audience, to contribute to the tradition and community passion that have driven our papers since a ragtag group of writers and publishers got together in a Fishtown kitchen more than 30 years ago and decided that these were neighborhoods that deserved their own newspapers.
If there's one thing that has changed in those decades, it's that these areas deserve good reporting more than ever.
Whether you're a longtime reader keeping tabs on the neighborhood news while at work, or an outsider who wants to learn more about the happenings in some of Philadelphia's most dynamic neighborhoods, we hope to provide a place where the spirit of our neighborhoods shines through.
It's a big task, and we no doubt stand on the shoulders of heroes who truly were dedicated to their communities. But once you've experienced the passion that makes these Philly neighborhoods what they are, it's hard not to pay that back with a little passion of your own.
Brian Rademaekers
Managing Editor, Star and Home News
Posted by Brian Rademaekers @ 4:01 PM
Permalink |
Post a comment
It is just that time of the year. Lots of kids, all over the area, are going back to school. Leaves are changing, the days are getting shorter. It is just the normal cycle of things. Fall is upon us.
I have watched for many years now, children buy school supplies, pack their backpacks and lunch bags, and board a big yellow school bus. It has been quiet a while since I was the one jumping on board, so I truly have not concerned myself with the rituals of the season in a long time. All of that changed this week when my very own baby headed off for his very first day of school.
My son is only 3. It is only pre-school. It is only two days a week. In fact, it is two half days, for only five hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but to me, it might as well be an eternity. He has stepped into the next stage of his life, the school years, and for his mommy, yours truly, it was a bumpy road.
My son, as usual, adjusted gracefully. He was thrilled to go meet new friends. He would get to have "circle time" and "story time." He'd get to play outside with kids his own age. He could barely sleep the night before. He was just so ready to go.
On the flip side of that coin, I took weeks to prepare myself. I cried three nights before he even went. I made sure he had a nice outfit for his first day, two changes of clothes (as instructed by his teacher) and his little backpack all ready to go. It didn't matter. I cried my eyes out when he walked out the door, despite the huge grin on his own face and a spring in his little step.
He was so ready. And, I was so not.
I suppose that is the cycle of life. As our mommies watched us, so too must we watch our own tots grown up, cry our own tears and help our own kids form into functioning, educated adults. I knew it would come. He'd have to go to school some day. He couldn't always be taught by his dad, who stays at home with him, and has since birth. He couldn't learn all he needs to know from me, either. It is just a fact of life, kids go to school. They need to learn. They need to socialize. It is a fact of life.
Still, nothing prepared me for that first day, and I suppose nothing really would, for any parent. Though, I will say, his dad took it much better.
"Why are you so upset?" he asked me. "Aren't you excited to see him be a big boy, to grow up?"
"No. I want him to need his mommy. I don't want him to get older because that means he won't need us, he'll grow up, and then he'll move out," I cried.
"Yeah, in 15 years," my husband replied.
It is true. I have lots of time still with my baby boy. And, quite frankly, no matter his age and no matter what roof he lives under, he always will be my baby boy. I will accept with time the change, and adjust to our new life with a school boy in the house. He isn't a baby any more, and I know that... even if my heart won't admit it, and likely never will.
I have watched for many years now, children buy school supplies, pack their backpacks and lunch bags, and board a big yellow school bus. It has been quiet a while since I was the one jumping on board, so I truly have not concerned myself with the rituals of the season in a long time. All of that changed this week when my very own baby headed off for his very first day of school.
My son is only 3. It is only pre-school. It is only two days a week. In fact, it is two half days, for only five hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but to me, it might as well be an eternity. He has stepped into the next stage of his life, the school years, and for his mommy, yours truly, it was a bumpy road.
My son, as usual, adjusted gracefully. He was thrilled to go meet new friends. He would get to have "circle time" and "story time." He'd get to play outside with kids his own age. He could barely sleep the night before. He was just so ready to go.
On the flip side of that coin, I took weeks to prepare myself. I cried three nights before he even went. I made sure he had a nice outfit for his first day, two changes of clothes (as instructed by his teacher) and his little backpack all ready to go. It didn't matter. I cried my eyes out when he walked out the door, despite the huge grin on his own face and a spring in his little step.
He was so ready. And, I was so not.
I suppose that is the cycle of life. As our mommies watched us, so too must we watch our own tots grown up, cry our own tears and help our own kids form into functioning, educated adults. I knew it would come. He'd have to go to school some day. He couldn't always be taught by his dad, who stays at home with him, and has since birth. He couldn't learn all he needs to know from me, either. It is just a fact of life, kids go to school. They need to learn. They need to socialize. It is a fact of life.
Still, nothing prepared me for that first day, and I suppose nothing really would, for any parent. Though, I will say, his dad took it much better.
"Why are you so upset?" he asked me. "Aren't you excited to see him be a big boy, to grow up?"
"No. I want him to need his mommy. I don't want him to get older because that means he won't need us, he'll grow up, and then he'll move out," I cried.
"Yeah, in 15 years," my husband replied.
It is true. I have lots of time still with my baby boy. And, quite frankly, no matter his age and no matter what roof he lives under, he always will be my baby boy. I will accept with time the change, and adjust to our new life with a school boy in the house. He isn't a baby any more, and I know that... even if my heart won't admit it, and likely never will.
Posted by Melissa Treacy @ 8:14 PM
Permalink |
Post a comment
We all have stress. In one way or another, it is fairly likely that something in your life is just a hair off of perfect. In some way, it is likely that something in your day-to-day goings on bothers you. For some of us, work can be a lot to handle on certain days. For others, the kids can really get on your nerves. I mean, we love ‘em, but if we have to hear one more fight about who gets to sit in the front seat, Lord help them. Maybe the daily traffic routines have you in a tizzy. Whatever it may be, likely something in your world bugs you. And, that causes stress.
We have all heard of the infinite ways that stress takes a negative toll on your life. From headaches and body tension, to excess eating and weight, we all handles stress in different ways, but chances are pretty good, stress is having an effect on your body. And, of course, stress affects everyday life (attitude?). Maybe your rough day at work means you snip a little too much at the kids. Perhaps that nasty gesture at the car that cut you off was a bit over the top, but you had been in traffic over an hour, right?
No matter the way you spin it, stress can cost you. I had my annual check-up at the doctor’s this week, and as usual, he told me I need to stop stressing so much. How can I find ways to decrease my stress? In my opinion, that is far easier said than done. There are countless things in our daily lives that we can’t control. We may not be able to change our jobs, make the kids get along every day or decrease the traffic in Greater Philadelphia, but how we react to all of those things, well, that we can control.
In my quest to “follow doctor’s orders,” I am taking some time out of my hectic day to think about the things that bother me. Why do they bother me? Why do they stress me out? I think this is a good first step. Like so many “step” programs out there, the first step is admitting we have a problem, right? So, identify that problem, and be clear about what it is that bothers you and why.
My next step (and mind you, I am no life coach here, but I can tell you what I am doing to decrease stress in my life) is to think about the things I can control in life. There is that little saying “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” and I am taking it to heart.
I took some time this weekend to outline the things that are bothering me first, that I can change. I am not thrilled with my weight gain. Stress (and having two babies, of course), has created some horrible eating habits for me. So first stop, set up a reasonable and healthy diet plan.
Part of that routine, not only to lose weight, but further decrease my stress, is to set up a work-out routine. Even if my schedule is jammed, I really need to find time for the gym. It is necessary to be health and fit. And, it is helpful for lowering stress in and of itself.
In my world, having no time for my husband also bothers me. So, we called on a babysitter and decided that the time and money to go out every other week on a date night is well worth the planning.
Thirdly, I feel that having time for one’s self is also key. This past weekend, I literally bought a desk-sized calendar to schedule all of these crucial times: time for me, time for the gym, time for the family and time for the husband.
Maybe you aren’t as anal retentive as I am about such organization, but I will admit, it made me feel better about the chaos. I may have a lot to work into my schedule, but organizing and taking control of what I can makes me feel a lot better about the things I cannot change.
We have all heard of the infinite ways that stress takes a negative toll on your life. From headaches and body tension, to excess eating and weight, we all handles stress in different ways, but chances are pretty good, stress is having an effect on your body. And, of course, stress affects everyday life (attitude?). Maybe your rough day at work means you snip a little too much at the kids. Perhaps that nasty gesture at the car that cut you off was a bit over the top, but you had been in traffic over an hour, right?
No matter the way you spin it, stress can cost you. I had my annual check-up at the doctor’s this week, and as usual, he told me I need to stop stressing so much. How can I find ways to decrease my stress? In my opinion, that is far easier said than done. There are countless things in our daily lives that we can’t control. We may not be able to change our jobs, make the kids get along every day or decrease the traffic in Greater Philadelphia, but how we react to all of those things, well, that we can control.
In my quest to “follow doctor’s orders,” I am taking some time out of my hectic day to think about the things that bother me. Why do they bother me? Why do they stress me out? I think this is a good first step. Like so many “step” programs out there, the first step is admitting we have a problem, right? So, identify that problem, and be clear about what it is that bothers you and why.
My next step (and mind you, I am no life coach here, but I can tell you what I am doing to decrease stress in my life) is to think about the things I can control in life. There is that little saying “grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference,” and I am taking it to heart.
I took some time this weekend to outline the things that are bothering me first, that I can change. I am not thrilled with my weight gain. Stress (and having two babies, of course), has created some horrible eating habits for me. So first stop, set up a reasonable and healthy diet plan.
Part of that routine, not only to lose weight, but further decrease my stress, is to set up a work-out routine. Even if my schedule is jammed, I really need to find time for the gym. It is necessary to be health and fit. And, it is helpful for lowering stress in and of itself.
In my world, having no time for my husband also bothers me. So, we called on a babysitter and decided that the time and money to go out every other week on a date night is well worth the planning.
Thirdly, I feel that having time for one’s self is also key. This past weekend, I literally bought a desk-sized calendar to schedule all of these crucial times: time for me, time for the gym, time for the family and time for the husband.
Maybe you aren’t as anal retentive as I am about such organization, but I will admit, it made me feel better about the chaos. I may have a lot to work into my schedule, but organizing and taking control of what I can makes me feel a lot better about the things I cannot change.
Posted by Melissa Treacy @ 8:13 PM
Permalink |
Post a comment
Philly.com Promotions
- News | Sports | Business | What's Happening | Restaurants & Food | Entertainment | Living | Marketplace | Jobs
Site Services:
Classifieds:
- Jobs | Cars | Real Estate | Rentals | Marketplace | Celebrations
Partners:
