Azul. Patron. Chocolate.

A perfect night, really. No kids. Good tequila. Amazing chocolate cake (don't worry Dave, it was protein cake...mmmhmmm, yep). And good friends. I haven't laughed so hard in a long time and that felt really good. Can't say the food/alcohol hangover is all that great, but the laughs and the friends were definitely worth the price! I even managed to be at the gym for cardio at 5am. 800mg of ibuprofen, some whey protein and then sweating buckets on the eliptical. I'm ready for a nap and it's only 7am.

I've gotten a bit carried away on the cheat meals the last couple weeks, so it's time to dial it in and get back to my clean eating. I will remember that chocolate cake come August/September....Ooooooh...gotta eat it while I can.

So, recently I had an email discussion with a good friend about marriage, kids, life. It amazes me how many women think that they are required to stay in an unhealthy, miserable, dysfunctional marriage because they have children. I couldn't disagree more with this line of thinking, it just doesn't work for me and I wish that other women felt the same way. I'm not saying everyone who feels they've been mistreated by their husband should run out and get a divorce. What I'm saying is...if it is truly that bad...if, at the end of your life, you are going to look back and know that you were miserable for a very long time all for the "benefit" of your kids maybe you need evaluate how beneficial your misery is to your children.

I honestly believe that I give a whole lot less of myself to my kids when I'm unhappy and miserable. They get a short-tempered, angry mom. That's really not what I want for them. I believe children are far better off with two happy, healthy parents apart than they are with two miserable, combative parents together.

It makes me sad to think that there are many women who feel an obligation to stay in a marriage that should be ended all for the sake of their children. I don't think this is noble. I don't think it's admirable. I think it's sad that she doesn't feel that she is worthy of a life filled with happiness and love. It makes me sad that she can't see the "big picture" and see how living a full, happy life would be much better for her children.

It is my own personal hope that my taking my life back and doing what I need to do will teach my daughters how to be strong, how to value themselves. I hope it will teach my son to treat women with love and respect and to cherish the woman he loves. Empowering ourselves will teach our children to empower themselves.

This is just my opinion, of course. :)