The e-book I won was The Beautiful Hangover by Liana Cano and Micheline Waring. While the book gives a background on both women, it is from the point of view of Micheline. It's about a Canadian expat (Micheline) living in Argentina who, with the help of her Columbian friend (Liana), an expat as well, starts to find herself again, and learns the balance of wife, mother and self.
I have to admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first started reading, and I was pleasantly surprised. This is my first biography, or at least non-fiction, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. I love to read and it’s not uncommon for me to get lost in a book, but this may have been the first time it felt like the book was being written about me. There are of course big differences between us, but when she described when she finally took stock of her life what she saw, I realized we could be looking at almost identical reflections in the mirror.
“I
don’t think I’d really looked in a mirror for some time, and I was a little
dismayed to see my reflection. My hair didn’t look so good. I had dark circles
under my eyes. My skin was dull and I started to notice some wrinkles. The
sleepless nights were taking their toll on me.”
“I realized that my activities revolved entirely around running our
household.”
After reading this, I realized that somewhere along the line, I had let myself go. I rarely did more then the bare minimum to get myself through the day. There are many mornings I don’t even bother brushing my hair since I’m not planning on leaving the house and my hair usually ends up in a ponytail anyways. I know what some people might say, I have a 15 month old who was very demanding as an infant and I was also caring for my toddler and a dog, usually by myself because of hubby’s schedule, but I’m not the first to do this, and others seems to manage well. And exercise…well, I’ve never been good at committing to an exercise routine, though as my weight and waist line start to inch back up and my energy levels seem to drop, I may have to admit that it’s time I took control of my physical health. As for my mental health, well, lets just say that’s taken a hit that not everyone is aware of. I’ve lost my self-esteem. I never had much to begin with, and I struggled for a few years before I got myself into a good place where I was confident in myself, but over the last couple of years, I lost it, and didn’t bother trying hard enough to hold onto it. It’s sad to realize that I forgot how important I am.
I enjoyed reading about Micheline’s journey as she finds herself again. Especially the moment when she finally realizes that she’s achieved her “beautiful hangover”. I plan on going back and re-reading, I’ve even starting making notes of my favourite sections, but I know I’m in for hard work. My journey to my own beautiful hangover is just beginning, and like Micheline says;
“I
hadn’t lost myself in a day, and I wasn’t going to find my way back that
quickly either.”
Thank you, for helping me realize what I
hadn't noticed before since I was too busy caring for others, and not enough
about myself.
