The Panda Lesson

The kids and I went and saw Kung Fu Panda this afternoon. This is the first movie I have taken them to since Cars. As you can see, we don't get to the movies very often. They had gotten movie gift certificates for Christmas from their babysitter and we just haven't been able to find a time to go. I had wanted to see Horton Hears a Who, and then my son wanted to see Speed Racer and then it was Prince Caspian. Each time they were gone before we could get to the theater. So since we have been enduring record breaking heat here, we made it a point to get to the movies this afternoon.

The kids really enjoyed it. My son stayed interested the whole time and my daughter only got tired towards the end because it was nap time. The last time she was still to young and it was not much fun for me. I am glad they are both at the point where we can start going and enjoying the movies more often.

I enjoyed the movie very much. I really liked when the wise old turtle told Po, "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift, that is why it is called the present." This is probably not a new quote but I loved it. I also loved that the hero was an overweight Panda who didn't know what his strength was. When he discovered it, he became the hero.

There is a great lesson in this for me. I need to stop thinking about yesterday and worrying about tomorrow. I always beat myself up when I mess up on my diet and I doom myself by thinking that I can never change it. I start thinking that it will take me forever to get to my goal and I just give up. I need to start seeing today for the gift that it is and to stay focused only on the present. If I can do this, then I too will see my strength and can be in charge of my life and my weight. It has helped me this past week or so to look at my eating on the spiritual side as well. It has taken awhile, but I am starting to see God's hand helping me with my struggle for control over my food and weight issues.