You don't know what you have 'til it's gone?! GOODBYE!

As I share with people the fact that I just had a breast reduction, the answer I get frommost women is, "You should give some of that to me." However, I do come across the occasional sane woman who has either had the same "problem" or know somebody who has.

You'll have to know that my sister Ashley stayed the night a few nights ago and we went downstairs to my room so I could get dressed. I was going through my closet when I came across that section. You know, the section of I'm keeping these because I WILL fit back into these one day section. I grabbed a pink silky cami with spaghetti straps. I stared at it for a moment, started to peel it off the hanger, and proceeded to daringly put it on. I was scared. I was nervous. Before when I would put this shirt on the lace triangles that are supposed to accentuate the breast area would accentuate my chest....the part above my boob...and even above my nipple. It looked ridiculous, hideous, absurd. So to the back of the closet it went for that "one day". Today was that day. As I pulled it over my head and grabbed the cami to pull it down, I looked and it accentuated my breasts! The lace triangles actually went around my boob the way it was intended. This was BIG...no HUGE!

I recently went shopping at a local retailer for some dresses for my daughter. I walked by the women's clothing section peering at the cute spring tops that I could never even imagine fitting into. You see, with the size of my breasts, I was forced to shop in the plus size area. I felt embarrassed and really despised the idea of shopping altogether. When you have siblings that can still shop in the junior section and you have to shop in the plus size section, shopping is a nightmare and you would rather be holed up in an outhouse with the flu. Nonetheless, after I filled my basket with my 2-year-olds new infatuation with "pretty dresses", I ventured to the world I have learned to avoid for sake of my ego: the JUNIORS SECTION!

I perused the area and saw so many cute tops. In my mind I thought What the hell am I doing in this section and are people looking at me wondering the same thing. I picked up a cute Candies spring top. I went with the large because my boobs are still a great size and I have a little to lose in the abdomen area ( I won't lie). I proceeded to the checkout line and made myself aware of the return policy "just in case" I couldn't fit.

I got home, showed my husband my new purchases of pretty dresses for our daughter and my daring purchase of this Candies top. I immediately started to strip so I could try this thing on. I pulled it over my head, stuck my arms though, and pulled it down. It fit. My husband said I looked amazing. I was near tears. You see, unless you have been in my shoes of shopping in the plus size section for about 8 years just because of boobs, you cannot imagine the feeling of relief, satisfaction, pure and utter bliss.

I imagine that this new chapter of my life holds great things. I imagine me running virtually pain free. I imagine wearing cute tops both for pleasure and working out. I imagine being able to play with my daughter without wondering of my back is going to go out....again. I imagine being able to teach to my hearts content, without having to sit because it hurts to stand too long. I imagine bathing suit tops. I imagine being seen for me and not the protruding mountains that I feel helped define me.

My sisters say I portray confidence that I used to have that has been in hiding for years. I feel like a new woman. I feel amazing and beautiful. I feel like I can conquer the world.

Men Are From Mars, Women From Venus, Obviously.

You hear sayings all the time about the difference between men and women. One example would be, "Men are from Mars, women are from Venus". I don't think the two species (yes, I said that) will ever be able to fully understand one another and I firmly believe that we are wired that way. We can compliment each other, and maybe that's where the saying "opposites attract" comes in, who knows, but understand and fully comprehend each other? Yeah right. I always thought that it was something to do with men. As they get older they just don't care and perhaps they like to bicker simply for the result...make-up sex (yes, I said that too).

Until today.

You see, we have been studying nature as a friend and as an enemy. We have talked for weeks about this topic and have done coinciding projects and assignments to go with it. As a final assignment, I told the kiddos that they would make two posters: one representing nature as a friend, and another representing nature as a foe (enemy). They could use any art medium they chose, which also adds to the fun. There were rules. They wouldn't need to put FRIEND or FOE on the poster because I should be able to tell and I didn't want to see anything man-made; This would include houses, cars, humans, etc. They had to make a poster depicting nature with ONLY nature in them.

Simple. Right?

A certain young man walks up to me and says, "I know I need to color this still but what do you think so far?" My response? "Wow, that is an amazing drawing and you are really good at drawing people but remember the simple rules?" "Yes, Mrs. Welch. Dang it."

So as he walked away to place his drawing in the recycling bin (I know it's a sad story), I remind the class of the (basically one) instructions. Can somebody explain to me why all but 2 boys (and NO girls) sighed, got up, and trotted towards the recycling bins? I was amazed. I actually chuckled a little bit, Really? I mean, really?

It's clear to me now that men are hard-wired to um, how do I say this, not listen.

It's ok though because I learned something as a teacher today. I need to make sure that I make my students (ah-hem) repeat even the simplest of directions.

Because, as you can see, I am from Venus, and they from Mars, and we are clearly speaking two different languages.