Day 215 She Set It On Fire Tonight

Day 215

She Set It On Fire Tonight

Once there was a little girl of eleven years old who was searching for something to make her feel better about her appearance. Her extra weight was wreaking havoc on her self-image and her confidence was at horribly low levels. She started looking for outfits that would “slim,” and became very particular about what she would and wouldn't wear. Then one day she discovered something that promised to tighten, slenderize, and magically improve her appearance. All she had to do was wear it everyday underneath her clothes. She started wearing this magical garment without telling her parents. In her mind it made all the difference in the world. It wasn't long before she became addicted. It was her secret garment. Not even her friends knew what she was wearing underneath. Wearing this undergarment required some extreme discipline and abuse to her body, for when she had it on, she couldn't easily go to the bathroom. So all through the sixth grade she held in any urge she had to use the restroom. Not once did she ever go to the bathroom, unless it was to check her appearance in the mirror. When her parents finally discovered this undergarment and realized how restrictive and possibly damaging it could be, they ordered it off and discarded. This did not go over well with this beautiful little girl. Her reaction was one of tears and screams, like they had just ripped her whole world out from under her. She convinced her parents that if she really had to use the restroom, she wouldn't let this undergarment get in the way, and they allowed the undergarment to stay in her possession, protecting her self-image like a bullet proof vest. Her obsession continued through the 6th, 7th, 8th, 9th, and even 10th grades. Not one bathroom break in over four and a half years of school days. That is until a month ago. That's when this beautiful little girl, now 15 years old, took it off for good. Her weight loss success has made the undergarment completely useless. Her smaller size has rendered that “magical” garment powerless. She no longer needs that girdle to give her a boost of confidence about her appearance. Exercise and good calorie management has swooped in and really made some serious changes in her body and most importantly, in her mind. But she couldn't throw it away, what if she needed it again? So she hid it away. That little girl is my youngest daughter Courtney. Tonight Courtney finally convinced herself she would never need it again, so she pulled out that old girdle and started ripping it apart. We then took it one step further, walked out on our patio and lit it on fire. Tonight that girdle burned. It burned almost as bright as Courtney's newfound confidence and self-image.

To me, the above conclusion to that story is the most important accomplishment of all during the last 215 days. We didn't realize how much her weight destroyed her self confidence and image until we tried to take it away a few years ago. You would have thought that it was a life or death situation judging from her reaction. We knew then how serious the problem had become. We allowed her to use the girdle as long as she promised to use the bathroom as needed, she told us she would, but she didn't at school, ever. And we just let it go, forgetting about it and just accepting it as part of her daily wardrobe. I couldn't be happier that Courtney is finally free of that horribly restrictive garment. Look at that smile in the picture below. That girdle is burning and she is smiling. I still can't believe the miraculous change. Her permission for me to reveal her longtime secret tonight in these writings is a testament to her incredible positive mental development over the last 215 days. If you're compelled to leave a comment below, please address your words to her, not me. And thank you for taking the time and thank you for reading. Good night and...

Good Choices,
Sean