When the [RECOVERY] Jeans Don’t Fit

Are you more inclined to purchase one jean brand over another because the size is smaller?

That is certainly how I used to shop. My worth as a human being was tied into the size of my clothes and the number on the scale. The smaller the number, the more worth I carried as a human being.

I was smarter, faster, better if my size was smaller than the next person.

WHY? Or better yet WHEN did size become a predictor of worth in our lives?

Seven SMASHing Years Later

Today, Southern Smash turns seven!

I often get asked, “How did you start Southern Smash? How did you make it what it is today?”

The answer is simple:

I have no idea.

Well, I have *some* idea. It all started with a promise I made eight years ago…

The Scale that Almost Divided Us

Something happened yesterday that jarred me… As I unwrapped and loaded scales in boxes for our Alliance for Eating Disorders NOT ONE MORE walk in Orlando, Jordan came over and tossed a scale on the ground. He is a lighthearted, joking guy and was going to step on the scale. I immediately grabbed it from […]

Hi. My Name is McCall and I’m an Imposter

Ever feel like you are floating through life with no idea what you are doing, but you are doing it anyway? That has been my reality every day for the last seven years. I started Southern Smash without a single clue as to what I was doing, but knowing in my gut this was what […]

A Letter to My Today Show Mom Bod Haters

This week I was thrilled to create and write the feature essay for the Today Parent’s newest “Challenge”. My idea was to challenge moms across the country to embrace their ‘mom bods’ and tell us why the love them. The amazing Parent editor Terri Peters loved it so I created the Why I Love My […]

A Letter to My Imperfections

My wonderful friends at Eating Recovery Center reached out to me last month, asking to feature me an Eating Recovery Day writer. The task was simple: write a #myrecoveryletter. I was touched they thought of me and began to wonder who I would write my letter to. My initial ‘easy’ thoughts soon turned to writers block and, […]

One Year Gone: Lessons in Grief

My eyes opened well before the sun rose, knowing what today was. My heart ached that same ache I have been experiencing for the last 365 days. A distinct void that will never be filled. I lie in bed and suddenly felt the need to see the sunrise. I threw on my clothes and drove […]

Year 8: Thriving with Intention

Eight years. Eight years of recovery. Eight years of falling (and getting back up). Eight years of life slapping me in the face. Eight years of choosing recovery over and over…and over. On this day eight years ago, I was faced with a decision: admit to treatment and choose recovery or fly home and continue […]

Happy [Grieving] Birthday to Me

Maybe it is because her house is empty or maybe because it is Christmas, maybe it is because President George H. W. Bush’s funeral is all over the news or maybe it is because my birthday is tomorrow or maybe because it is another day that ends in ‘Y’… Lately, I have been missing her […]

The Scanxiety Dance

This blog has always been a place of comfort and my personal way of therapeutic processing. Through my eating disorder recovery, Marjorie’s early birth and of course, Marjorie’s cancer. It is only fitting that on this day, I find myself back here, trying to process the surge of emotions bubbling inside. Ever since I heard […]