More than you will ever know

We have someone in our family who is just..awkward.

We want him to leave and we have told him this, but he follows us everywhere. We tried to leave him in the mountains of Utah, but he slipped inside a small corner and followed us home.

He makes us cry in public places.

He makes relationships really hard sometimes.

He makes life really hard sometimes too.

I am not talking about my father, the only male in our immediate family- rather the enigma that our family has coined TED (acronym for The Eating Disorder).

It has been a while since we have talked about this because sometimes it is easier to just not. After living almost a wretched decade with TED and hoping he will leave us, he still continues to explore his regular haunts within our family.

Jolene has been back home for a number of months now and she is doing great. She is working at a local restaurant and spending time with a close group of friends, going to Marine land, camping and canoeing. In other words, trying to take her life back. But there are some days when we still notice that all is not well and Jolene needs a little bit of extra support.

There has been a lot taken from us in the past decade, even though we have become stronger. Jolene finds it especially hard to connect with our father and myself, something we are still trying to sort out the pieces from.

Last evening, I found myself getting angry over a trivial matter and finally gave up and told Jolene what I was really upset about; how I wish we could have relationship – something that has been stolen from us over the years of fighting the monster of anorexia. It is those moments of pure honesty and yearning that we win another battle against anorexia.

Things are not perfect, and I don’t think they ever will. But they are ok and for now, we are holding onto that and forging on in the fight of our lives for this precious sister and daughter that we are so blessed to call ours.

As a family, we fiercely want to prevent this from happening from anyone else and to help others who are walking the same path. We have some important events coming up that we would love to have you join us in.

1. Next Sunday (August 5), The Optimist Club of Petersburg is hosting a Breakfast in the Park in support the awareness and treatment of Eating Disorders. It is from 9 – 12 pm at the Petersburg Park and they have an amazing menu planned! My family and I will be there and would love to see everyone out! For more information on the event, click here. 

2. On September 18 – 21, my father’s business will be hosting a fundraiser for Eating Disorder Awareness at the International Plowing Match. They will need at least 25 volunteers to sell Home Hardware pails and ED bracelets & mittens over the 5 day Plowing Match. We will be looking for volunteers who can commit to a full or half day at the event by August 1, 2012. (Or as soon as possible.) If you are interested in helping out and in raising awareness, please click here. 

Thank you. We appreciate this more that you will ever know.