One Bigfoot Reviewing Another

I am in the middle of reading Gabby Reece’s new book, My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper, and in light of the pounding she is taking on the interview circuit,  I just had to give my review so far.

First, I need to make a few confessions:

* I wear a size 11 shoe, and I haven’t yet found a glass slipper that fits. 

* I saw an interview of Gabby on The Today Show talking about this book, otherwise, I wouldn’t have known who she was.

* Her message, as she shared it in that interview, deeply resonated with me, since I write about the same topics.

Whew, now that I got that out of the way, here goes…..

I’m glad Gabby Reece starts this book off as if the reader has never heard of her or her volleyball/modeling career, because I haven’t.  She is not assuming the reader follows her as a “celebrity” whether for her athletics or modeling, and she presents herself in this book as everyday mom.  Her life as she describes it is nothing like mine, however.  Getting past her living in Kauai in winter/Southern California in summer, her amazingly toned body showing her dedication to fitness and athleticism, and her well established online platform helping sell this book, her values and family dedication seem very similar to my own.

Like Gabby, I made a conscious decision to take the lead role in serving and caring for my family and household.  I did this in the year 2001, when I had to step down from the role of main bread-winner for my family due to a layoff during the dot-com bomb.  Finally, I had my chance to be home with my kids (I was pregnant with my second son at the time).  My husband and I switched these roles, and decided to maximize our talents in each, thereby creating the best scenario for our growing family.  Gabby Reese is very clear that she made this decision regardless of the fact that she never envisioned herself as the “motherly” type.  I applaud her for that, and for listening to her own instincts instead of subscribing to the “women’s liberation” peer pressure that surrounds her in her chosen career and celebrity.  I have found that amazing pride and satisfaction can come from physically and emotionally caring for your own children and family.

Like Gabby describes in this book, I also don’t see my role as subservient at all to my husband.  If anything, my role is superior, as it is the most important and most vital to our success as parents and partners.  If my husband screws up and loses his job, he can find another one – he’s just dealing with the money needed for us to survive.  If I screw up, some psychiatrist or plastic surgeon gets to take another trip to Hawaii on our dime by listening to my kid tell the tale or plastering him back together.  Gabby clearly takes her parenting role very seriously also.

Like Gabby, my marriage hasn’t been all roses, white horses and amazing sunsets…..well, I’m sure she has amazing sunsets almost every day living in Hawaii, but you get my point.  Marriage takes lots of work, and lots of flexibility for you and your partner to grow.  My honey and I will celebrate 30 years married in May, 2013, and we started our lives together just like Romeo and Juliet….only we obviously didn’t kill ourselves (or each other thank goodness!)  Even though we have been committed to each other since we were both 16 years old, I have never once imagined or dreamed of what my life would be like with anyone else (I’m not talking about fantasies, people – this is a family blog!)  I have seen no other life better, and wouldn’t change a thing.  Gabby describes a very similar feeling for her man, after she got over tip toeing around his moods, and bailing on the relationship because she started out looking at it all wrong.  She talks about her realization that all the little things that might bug you about your partner are really workable if you are both on the same page with your life mission and beliefs.

Since comments online (especially on Huffington Post and the like) are just that, comments, and not well-read critiques, I’m glad Gabby isn’t taking to heart the criticism of her message from the fringe group of “independent” women who don’t really want to raise their own kids!  Check out this interview with Katie Couric to see what I’m talking about.  I am right in sync with what I have read from Gabby so far, especially her comments on keeping her feelings to herself for the good of a not making waves (funny since her hubby, Laird Hamilton, is a world-renowned surfer) in her household.  Those who know me well will be shocked to hear I have ever done that!  I don’t any more – I learned at least 15 years ago the damage that can cause to ones self!

As I’m only half way through her book, My Foot is Too Big for the Glass Slipper, I don’t know how it ends – at least I know she doesn’t die yet – but I’m sure I’m in for more of the same, with some health and fitness thrown in.  So far, I’m just nodding my head in agreement to the affirmations that someone else has chosen a similar family path to mine.  Now if I could just move to Hawaii to raise my boys on the beach we could be Besties!  😉

As a result of reading this book, I have visited Gabby’s site, and checked out her products.  I bought her TRUition meal supplement, and LOVE it.  I’m also using some of her YouTube exercise routines to give my body a little kick of something extra.  If it makes my body just half as fit as hers, the book and introduction to her world were totally worth the $17.99 I paid for the read!

Check it out, and let me know what you think?!