pie 4ever
While buttoning my pants today I found to my dismay
that my skinny jeans get skinnier with every passing day.
For the past few months, in fact, I’ve watched with shock and wonder
as my stomach’s gotten softer and my thighs accrued more thunder.
This winter’s been a doozy when it comes to winter fluff —
those extra pounds of softness that the cold months conjure up.
At first this weight gain bothered me, because everybody knows
a bigger number on the scale must be cause for stress and woe.
But then I got to thinking about how this season’s been for me
And how my fabulously fluffy winter body came to be...
It started with the holidays, and tons of family time,
laughing, eating cookies, making pasta, drinking wine.
I skipped some yoga classes and missed out on jogging highs
but I took walks with my mom and I made some awesome pies.
In January I sat and watched the lovely snowflakes fall,
spent many evenings on the couch not doing anything at all.
Yes, I could have hit the gym, counted every calorie,
but honestly, that didn’t feel quite natural to me.
Instead I heard this message, delivered loud and clear:
Now’s the time to rest, rejuvenate, and plan your year.
Eat sumptuous food, spend time at home, see what looking inward brings;
sure, you might gain a few pounds but you’ll feel refreshed come spring.
I think about the bears who hibernate for months this season,
they put on weight and never think to angst about the reason.
Instead as they drift off to sleep, they feel grateful for their flab,
not wasting a moment worrying about the status of their abs.
So own your winter fluff and treat your body well,
and put on a pair of stretchy pants that allow you to exhale.
Winter fluff makes snuggles snugglier, and it keeps us nice and warm.
It’s cozy and it’s natural, and it doesn’t deserve scorn.
Come spring the sun will come back out and we’ll all go back outside,
we’ll probably be more active and feel much more energized.
The key here is to listen to what your body says to you:
rest when it says “rest,” and do when it says “do.”
In spring you might shed your winter fluff, but even if it stays,
love your body — and your fluff! — because you’re perfect in every way.
