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Stephanie Hansen's avatar

A powerful read. So many times as a mom and a daughter have i wanted to do better around the subject of body acceptance. 🙌 thanks for this

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Mary Quinn McCallum's avatar

Though I was in regular communication with you during much of which you share, I applaud you for the way you've moved through things. Many of us sandwich generation types have been navigating everyone else's needs and issues with not much time to think about our own. I am glad to see a shift in myself as I navigate grief and love and hormones and everything else. I know Pickle and guest posts like this will be relished (1 pun point please) by many of us, thanks to you, Jill, and to Steph.

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Stephanie March's avatar

2pts MQM!

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Tracy Morgan's avatar

Well said. Love you, Jill!

(And you too, Smarchypants.)

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Marta Musolf's avatar

ALL of this...

Beautiful writing.

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Cathy M's avatar

Thank you Jill for this - great writing. My mom passed away April 11, 2023 and while there a days I struggle there is also relief in knowing she is not in pain and quite frankly our journey to find relief was over. Parent/Child relationships are a messy mix of joy, love and sometimes ugliness. Miss you!

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Sarah B's avatar

What a beautiful essay. ❤️

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Sara leighton's avatar

Wow. And wonderful and sad and true. Thank you for this and your honesty

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Carol O'Connor's avatar

I admire your honesty and determination. I’ve belonged to that club for longer than I should, and it’s still hard. Brava!

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Megan McDonough-Hartwell's avatar

Thank you for sharing this, Jill. I feel this in my bones. I, too, am an adoptee (baby-scoop era), and my body couldn’t have been any more different from my mother’s. I remember her taking me to countless diet/weight loss companies, constantly bemoaning my weight, and being very vocal about every pound I gained during pregnancy, along with every pound I failed to lose fast enough after giving birth.

I fell into a deep depression after the birth of my first child. Food was my drug of choice. She continued to pick on my weight to the point where after giving birth to my 2nd, I got gastric bypass surgery in 2004. I still had an addictive personality and, after going through an incredibly abusive marriage, ended up dependent on anxiety & sleeping meds. Instead of my weight, my mom had a new “problem” with me.

Many understanding hugs.

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Robin Bristol's avatar

Thank you for this. Yes, I feel many of your trials you endured being her daughter. I tell myself that generation didn’t know any better and we suffered being in their path. But, sheesh it’s hard to shake off. I’ll keep reading stories like yours to stay strong. My Mom is 94 and suffering from multiple heart issues. Love her like crazy.

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Amy Vasseur's avatar

Thank you for this post. This is what I needed to hear from someone else. Especially this month. My situation is similar in ways and different in many ways. I had not heard of the motherless club. Although I feel it everyday.

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