Eat, Pray, Love

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I'm reading Eat, Pray, Love. I cannot put this book down. I did not realize that the author, Elizabeth Gilbert, was named by Time magazine as one of the hundred most influential people in the world.

I'm not sure I want to see the movie now that I am reading the book. It's powerful. I can't help but read it with a stepmother's heart. And I see myself in so many of her stories.

If you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.

No. She isn't a stepmother.

No. She isn't a stepmother. But she is dealing with the pain of a difficult ex-husband and the emotional ramifications of a painful divorce.

I guess if I had to describe it, I would say it is a description of her journey towards healing, self-actualization, and peace.

It's beautifully written. Honest. Loving.

I've heard of this book

I've heard of this book before and remembered wanting to read it. Thanks for the reminder, I just reserved it at our library.

Kids learn what they live.
If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive.
If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves.
If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy.
If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence.
If children live with tolerance, they learn patience.
If children live with praise, they learn appreciation.
If children live with acceptance, they learn to love.
If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal.
If children live with sharing, they learn generosity.
If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness.
If children live with fairness, they learn justice.
If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them.
If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live.

Children who live with anger all the time learn to be rude and nasty kids. It's very easy for all of us to point fingers at the biological mother. But if our stepchildren have spent even a little time with us, we have to accept responsibility for the part we play in their behaviors.

Great post-personal

Great post-personal responsibilty is a wonderful thing isn't it?

Instead of hoping that it all

Instead of hoping that it all comes back to her, why not hope that maybe the stepkids pick up a little of the good stuff from you?

I have a loooooong way to go.

I have a loooooong way to go. But I've learned one thing over the years. I've learned to seek advise from those who are doing it right. That's true both professionally and personally. Why re-invent the wheel, right? If someone already has it figured out, I want to learn from them. That's why I'm glad I found this site. I've learned so much from the folks who have it right.

"shows very high opinion of

"shows very high
opinion of herself with no follow through to prove anything but someone here to put others down.
Very bad she is even here in my opinion"
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I disagree with your statement about no follow through to prove anything. There is, in fact, someone's child...not BlendedFam's...who loves her & respects her more than she does her own parents. I think that speaks volumes for success as a stepparent.

Frankly, I'm thankful it's not up to you to decide who is & isn't here. I'm glad she's here to offer her experiences & thoughts. Perhaps her remarks wouldn't get to you so much if you'd quit following her from post to post making things up about her because you're angry.

True. She did make them.

True. She did make them. But I believe that people (even kids) are put in our paths to teach us something. Maybe it's just patience. Maybe it's unconditional love. Maybe it's compassion.

I read this book when my

I read this book when my engagement ended and found it helpful. Overall, I liked the book, and I'd really like my own four months in Italy, but I had trouble with some of it. Like you, I believe that everything we experience is supposed to teach us something. That's why some of us have the same thing/type of thing happen over and over. Some of us take longer to learn our lessons.

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