I'm THE Big Fat Panda

--Adrienne

Its confession time. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed lately. 

Between work, writing and parenting, I’m pooped. So much so that yesterday when I got home and plopped my butt down on the couch, I declared myself in a deep funk. The kind that makes you feel all foggy and not at all motivated to finish the last of the line edits on that manuscript sitting on your desk cause, hey, how much of a chance do you have of making it anyway?

You know, that kind of funk.

What I needed was a good old-fashioned slap across the face. And today I got it, just how I like it--dressed up as a kids movie. 

Kung Fu Panda. 

I thought at first I would put it on and the boys would watch it while I did some work around the house. I should have known better.

I was sucked in. Being vaguely panda-shaped myself, I related to our hero immediately. A stress-eating misfit chasing his dreams, training even though he knows he’s probably not going to succeed. Hell, even his far more talented friends are having a hard time. 

Nope, doesn’t sound like anyone I know. 

Suddenly I wasn’t watching a movie on lazy afternoon anymore; I was in therapy. I became Po and my life was Tai Lung.  It didn’t even weird me out that I sounded like Jack Black. 

The kids were laughing and karate chopping the couch. But I was into it.

The more I watched, the more involved I became. Every joke and every fight scene. Until the end, when Tai Lung crawls out of his impact crater and tries one last punch at Po, saying, “You can’t defeat me. You’re just a big fat panda.”

And Po answers, “No. I’m THE big fat panda.”

And I came back myself with a big ol’ Hell Yeah.

Sometimes life is gonna try to kick my ass. I get that. The mix of working full time and writing will make me tired. Every now and again, I’m going to worry about how good of a of a wife and mother I am. On occasion the thought is going to creep into my head that I’m never going to make it in this business.

 And when that happens, I’m going to have to stand up, dust myself off and start kicking back. Cause I’m not just some wannabe. I’m THE big fat panda.