I could not pull over fast enough. The rental car’s tires crunched to a halt at the Southpoint shopping area. I quickly threw the car into park and buried my head in my hands. My heart was overwhelmed with emotions. My morning at the Carolina House was over and the magnitude of this trip and the memories of my long journey hit me like a tidal wave, a very unexpected tidal wave. Hours before this tidal wave, I happily entered…
It is going to take some time for my feet to touch the ground. I am back at treatment, but not in that way. Last fall I got an email from my former therapist asking if I would be interested to come share my story in a new group forum. I was so touched the staff even thought of me to come and speak at the Empowerment Group. It is obvious how much I love Carolina House and what a…
Well, it’s out there. Southern Smash…a crazy idea that suddenly became my pay-it-forward mission. I have NO idea why I feel so compelled to put myself out there in such a way. (Well, a dear friend is partly to blame for being so damn pushy and supportive of my madness.) But seriously, who is this person I am becoming? A few years ago, I would have NEVER blogged such personal things, much less post them to Facebook for so many…
CHRISTMAS DAY•2010 9:45am The day had finally arrived. As the bright red rental car pulled into the house’s long driveway, I darted out of the door and, much to the dismay of the treatment staff, I ran as fast as I could to the car. I opened the door and fell into the arms of my beloved husband, Jordan. He was as handsome as ever on that cold Christmas morning. Our hug felt like eternity. I did not want to…
Two years. How does that happen? It feels like yesterday. To me, it still was just yesterday. December 14, 2010 The day I entered the Carolina House, a place that would forever alter the course of my life. The day I put all my trust and faith into the incredible treatment team’s loving hands. The day I finally said, “I surrender my eating disorder.” The day I set foot into that simple, yellow house, that magical place in the woods…
2009. Sitting in my tiny, windowless office surfing the internet, I was trying to stay awake when I stumbled across a bright and colorful website. Learn. Dream. Live. RUN…Girls on the Run. As I began to read about the organization and click-through various links I knew instantly I HAD to be a part of Girls on the Run and its extraordinary vision. I wanted to be a coach. I wanted to know these people who created and ‘played’ in this…
Authentic. Real. Raw. These words are new to me. Never before have I felt more comfortable in my skin. Never before have I felt that I live my life as ME…not as who others want me to be. I’m simply McCall – quirky, energetic, passionate and full of LIFE. These feelings of authenticity did not come until I stripped down and streaked across this blog, the Facebook newsfeed and now through my community. It is so funny to me how…
I always heard running was therapeutic…a good-for-your-soul type activity. But for me, it was anything but good for the soul…or body. I can remember being a little girl and hating running…I mean I hated running. I would do anything I could to cut our mile runs short in gym class. But there was always something telling me that I was supposed to run. Whether it was to ‘stay in shape’ or to be pretty and popular, I knew I needed…
Healthy. What does being healthy really mean? Is healthy running daily and eating a balanced diet? Is it practicing yoga, meditation and mindfulness while eating vegetarian? Is it swinging from one diet to another, trying to squeeze in a walk or two into a packed workweek? Is it weighing yourself daily making sure you stay within your range? Is it never eating out and eating all of your meals at home? Is it not drinking and banishing all adult beverages?…