Harsh Weather and Harsh Realities

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 Wintergirls was hard to read and, honestly, kind of hard to talk about. The "victories" that Cassie and Lia identify with are similar to what some of my family members have dealt with. My mother and grandmother always aimed to be skinny and did a lot of extreme diets to get there. It ended up affecting their way of thinking and how they see others. They would make small comments to my sister and me on our appearances. To them, if I ate more or faster than the rest, I was on my way to getting "bigger." My sister was always too skinny and needed to eat more even though she wasn't hungry. Growing up surrounded by this has caused us to look at appearance and fitness healthily. I watch how much I eat and make sure to get all the nutrients I can. My sister goes to a personal trainer and has started weight lifting. She ingests good proteins and calories to promote a healthy weight increase. 

This all goes to say that. Sharing experiences are a powerful way to convey urgency to someone else to not give in to the lies that mental illnesses tell us. Wintergirls has the potential to raise questions in student lives and help teachers understand where some of this mindset stems from. 





Comments

  1. Bailey DuncanNovember 10, 2021 at 8:08 PM

    I agree that Wintergirls was a hard read because of the topics discussed within the book. Your story makes me think about how common eating disorders are. Now, they may not be to the extent to those portrayed in the book, but they are common among people in todays day and age. You are absolutely right that sharing experiences are extremely powerful and can give help and insight to those who may desperately need it.

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