I’ve been trying to pay attention to the National Holidays calendar this year just to add some variety to my days. I have odd methods for my own personal entertainment. My husband and I celebrated National Popcorn Day on January 19th and National Homemade Soup Day on February 4th. Sadly, I missed National Handwriting Day on January 23rd and National Library Shelfie Day on January 27th. I certainly could have used a reason to reorganize my book shelves. 

Today is National “Get Over It” Day. I know. Right?

It’s also National Barbie Day, Crabmeat Day and Meatball Day.

Pick one, I tell myself – of course Barbie and Meatballs would be easy, but I’m not so much fond of Barbie these days and I just made meatballs last week. Crabmeat? No. This is Minnesota. The words Get Over It seemed to stand out in bold print, which is what happens when I need to pay attention to something.

I took this to my notebook.

“Get Over It” on the surface can mean two things, I’m thinking. I’m sure there’s more, but I’m going with two for the sake of notebook time. The obvious, is in letting something go. A grudge, a narrative we believe in that might be keeping us from growing, or maybe a resistance towards something. Perhaps I need to get over my fixation on  my husband’s piles of stuff throughout the house and move to action – or reshift my attention to my own piles of stuff. Why are we hanging on to so much stuff?

But, I wonder if there isn’t another “Get Over It” meaning, one I’m leaning towards. 

Have you ever seen that video of the woman breaking a world record in the high jump? I can’t find it now and if I keep looking I’ll be in Rabbit hole Mind and I want to refrain from going there. Anyway, this video clip, if you find it, is quite thrilling to watch.  I viewed it a dozen times and I felt more empowered with each view. 

This woman breaking a high-jumping record is the essence of “Get Over It”. 

What it must have taken her to accomplish this feat I can’t imagine. I did the high jump in high school track and I was pretty happy with 5 feet. This is not any kind of record. Maybe I didn’t jump 5 feet even. Maybe that was wishful thinking. I can’t remember. Yet today, I can barely jump over a mud puddle.

It takes commitment, discipline, devotion and daily practice to “Get Over It” – to get that thing we want to accomplish. Routine, rituals, and habits help you get there. Saying no to other things. Soon, this bar can be reached and it becomes a part of who we are. It’s woven into the fabric of our genius and becomes effortless. 

That’s the “Get Over It” I”m choosing on this National Get Over It holiday.

For me, right now, at this very point in time, that bar is: sugar. 

Pandemic pounds have crept upward on top of the menopausal pounds and I so tire of my achy breaky whining in my notebook about how my body feels. I know that to get over this, I need to get over sugar.  It’s an all or nothing kind of relationship.  Even 99% no sugar would open a tiny crack for 1% to completely steamroll the whole enterprise. It’s all gotta go. That’s it. I’m not being dramatic here.

So, I’m on Day 2 of no sugar. Adding more steps in my days. And, moments of wonder, writing and dreaming about who I will become without sugar. 

Note to Self: Commitment, discipline and constant awareness will be necessary, I know. I’ll imagine the beauty of jumping over the high bar on this “Get Over It” day to celebrate.

I am participating in the 14th Annual SOL 2021 March challenge. For 31 days, I will attempt to write and share a small slice of life from my days. If you’d like to read more of today’s slices from other teacher-writers, please head over to twowritingteachers, who have also committed to this challenge.

A writing practice can be a means of “gaining a perspective on where you are in the movement of your life” and be a medium to “explore the possibilities of your future in the context of your whole life.” ~ Ira Progoff