When my girls were growing up, life was usually run at warp speed, juggling jobs, homework, after school activities and just the business of keeping a household running. A lot of things got short shrift, including housework and regularly cooked meals. I tended to use a lot of short cuts like jarred pasta sauce and macaroni and cheese. But I tried to intersperse the quick and dirties with some home cooking. One of the girls’ favorites was my mystery meatloaf. Not because I used mystery meat, but because it never came out the same way twice. Add mashed potatoes and a fresh, steamed vegetable, and they were happy girls indeed. Why? Because the meatloaf and potatoes were assembled with a whole lot of love and often, conversation during the preparation.
As they got older, they began helping cook, eventually working up to the point where they could plan and execute meals on their own. Both grew up loving both cooking and baking, as a result.
To this day, Thanksgiving is still a three day cooking spree and everything we make is made from scratch.
Where am I going with this? You might ask. I’m happy to tell you!
Last night as I was preparing turkey tacos for myself, I realized that just because you’re only cooking for one doesn’t mean it can’t be the same labor of love as when you were cooking for your family. I found that I was putting the same love and care into something which would simply feed myself for a few days!
Have a little love in your heart.
We talk a lot about loving ourselves and being kind to ourselves, and many of us have reached the point where we do love and respect ourselves. But do our actions truly reflect what we believe to be true?
Sure, we exercise regularly, take our vitamins, try to keep healthy food in the house…but what about just treating ourselves with love? The realization that I truly was acting in a loving manner towards little ol’ me was absolutely mind blowing!
The change didn’t happen overnight. In fact, if I’m honest about it, it was years in the making. But it proves that as we make those small, almost insignificant changes, it begins to add up until we finally do start seeing the major changes which really weren’t major changes at all, but a progressive series of small ones, each building upon another.
So next time you’re fixing yourself a sandwich, or even a cup of tea, pay attention to how you’re doing it. Are you just slapping it together, or are you giving it the same, loving attention you give to something you prepare for your family? You just might be surprised!
My gratitudes tonight are:
1. I am grateful that I have truly learned to love myself.
2. I am grateful that my new routines are bearing wonderful fruit.
3. I am grateful that I realized the pressure in my ears was another case of swimmer’s ear, and pulled out the meds before I ended up in the doctor’s office, screaming in pain.
4. I’m grateful that I had a smooth, easy trip to the vet with my senior girl, Patches.
5. I am grateful for all of the abundance in my life.
Love and light.
