Getting at the crusty bits

I was enjoying a lovely massage one morning, when my massage therapist Colleen and I discussed the possibility of me blogging about my journey back to health. Since I got sober nearly 7 years ago, an addiction to sugar has surfaced with a vengeance. I say surfaced because it was always there... I was just drinking the sugar rather than laying my face into a 1.5 quart of Breyers.

One step on this healing journey is going to be about getting at the crusty bits. "Pardon?" you say... well you might if you were an Aussie like me, but you said excuse me? ... Hey, I can work with that...

Some of us might have crusty bits that we need to deal with in order to get well. One of the ways I am using to support my ol' crusty self right now is to eat really delish-kiss nourishing food. Now, everyone knows that food tastes extra good when you deglaze the pan of all the crusty bits, so my life might just get even more tasty, if I get all the crusty bits adhered in me, offa me!

Side note here: Seeing that I don't always have booze in my home, I often use Kombucha to deglaze my pans if I want a sweeter tasting jus or I'll use Apple Cider Vinegar for a sourer sauce. Ooooh, makes you wanna smack your lips! More on sober sauces later...

So in addition to making yourself (and your family) happy with fabulous tasting tucker (oz speak for food), you might also look into making everyone (including yourself) happier by deglazing any "crusts" that are hanging onto you.

But, be warned... getting at our emotional crusty bits requires extreme gentleness, so be sure to use the "loving self kindness" rather than the "harsh judging" method. By no means should you hack away at crusty bits with a chisel! Just let that old stuck-on rubbish come up to breathe for a few seconds at first, try to relax and let it soak, and before long, you'll see that it sometimes just peels off real easy.

At other times, it might take lots of self care, understanding, and loving forgiveness, which is something some of us might have to learn or re-learn. But, do not worry, we will all get there, one baby step at a time. Just keep practicing.

Lately, I have come to believe that I don't need to actually play with my crusts, I can just cut them off or give them away to a friend who loves them! In other words interrupt the negative or sad thoughts and give them over to my God bloke. He seems to know what to do with them when I just don't have a clue.

In looking at myself, I see that I do have a tough crust. However, I am also realizing that the thoughts I'm having about my crusty bits are just thoughts about the past or the future and that "old stale" crusts or future "imagined" crusty situations, really have nothing to do with the real me or who I am, today. You know, I think I am getting ready to shed my crust... Look! there's another crack! Until it's totally gone though, I might just pretend that I don't have a crust anymore. I am an open faced sandwich whose crusts have been trimmed.

Btw.. that's a piccy of my favorite "crust muncher" up there beside me. You can borrow Him if you like, until you get your own.