April 9, 2023 DON'T CRY OUT LOUD

Happy Easter. It's a great day. The sun is shining and the birds are chirping. I know this because I've finally been cleared by the doctor to walk again......No running.....but I'll take it. Can't believe it's been 6 weeks since I've ventured out. It's funny--the things we take for granted. I'll never take my feet for granted again. I might even get a pedicure when I get the okay to run. I've never had one AND MY FEET DESERVE IT. I'll even paint my nails a very LOUD and TACKY color too. Can't wait. So I just finished another memoir. I'm really not a memoir person but this book had such a troubling title and cover that I just couldn't resist. It's called I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy. Strange right?  Well if you think that's odd--you have to see the cover--McCurdy dressed in pink-SMILING-holding a pink urn. I kid you not. I didn't realize who McCurdy was when I picked up the book, but you may know her as a child actor from the Nickelodeon series iCarly. McCurdy's mother, Debra, was a piece of work. She wanted to be an actress, but that never panned out so she forced her young daughter into the business. Jennette loved her troubled, emotionally abusive mother deeply and would do anything to keep her happy including "calorie restriction" so she would appear younger. This led to eating disorders, anxiety, shame and a host of other problems. I don't want to say too much more about this well-written  heartwrenching.... and at times laugh-out-loud funny book about a very complicated SERIOUSLY DYSFUNCTIONAL relationship between a mother/daughter. I totally understand why she's glad her mom died. I am too.