Bruised Fruit

I get sent a great deal of news articles daily. Friends share tidbits that they think might spark my interest. On trend I follow quite frequently is news on breastfeeding, and it has been getting a lot of mainstream press lately. Partly due to the newest tragedy linked to Enfamil formula's, some related to the incident at Target where the mother nursing her baby in the corner was harassed. Another article I read, where pornography is destroying the ability of individuals to connect with each other. Younger women feel inadequate when compared to the unrealistic expectations men now have, due to over exposure of stimulation. Men feel unable to connect on a real emotional level of intimacy, therefore creating a schlew of sexual health problems.
     Friends of mine become incredibly annoyed at the fact I refuse to add the texting feature to my phone. How do all of these things coincide? The things I have deep passion for, I can relate to bruised fruit. When browsing the produce at a supermarket, we have a tendency to choose only the most perfect looking specimens, while the one's with slight brown spots, misshapen proportions, off seeming colour, get left behind to the brave soul willing to take a chance on a managers special, or most likely, end up in the trash.
     When the farmer's harvest the crop, even then, the less than ideal one's do not travel out of the orchard. The only time these things are forgiven by society, is when the hold the coveted label of being "organic".
Being organic is expensive. Check any price, and even though the difference is a few cents, we are often times unable to justify the higher amounts. We know it is better for us; less chemicals, higher nutrient value, intenser flavor, better financial support for the growers, and better for the Earth.
   There is nothing "organic" about technology. We treat the term as though it is an off shoot of mainstream. Sadly, it is. Just as the lactation field considers infant formulas "suboptimal" and breastfeeding "normal", the rest of the world operates just the opposite.  So too has our societies normals become a substitute for the richness of the real human experience. How often do you receive a hand written letter in the mail? Much less a phone call "just because".... When was the last time you made the effort to record a family tradition, or implemented a new one, so your children had a piece of the past to honor. When was the last time you played a board game, planted a garden, cooked a meal completely from scratch?
  What has become nothing more than nostalgia, stands to become extinct. As human beings, we crave interaction. Babies crave touch, to be held, to be loved. Just because we have grown, does not mean we do not need those same basic necessities in life. There is a secret to bruised fruit. Just because it has a discoloration, just because it has already fallen off of the tree, does not mean it is bad. It must be re purposed, and nothing left to waste. I would make the effort at least once this year to bake a bread, or pie, from less than ideal. (Nothing beats homeade baked goods, hands down!) Go to a garage sale, and buy some one's junk, and find a new place for it in your home. Turn off the television for just one weekend, and go to your nearest park, take off your shoes, and feel the grass beneath your feet. Buy a book of stamps and write one letter a month to some one. It does not matter if they work in the cubicle next to you, or on the other side of the world. Teach your child, or some child you know about the cycle of life by hunting for bugs, or watching the tadpoles at a pond turn into mighty frog. Just as a warning, it might be uncomfortable at first, you may feel it is beneath you, or a waste of time. It will teach you how far away you really are. But if you embrace it, and allow yourself to get lost, or look a fool, your soul will shine in happiness. The cake might be burnt, the weather might not cooperate, but try again. I promise, it will be the sweetest thing you have ever tasted. Happy New Year friends, make this one count!
        

Embracing Winter

When I started this blog, I had every intention of keeping up with it weekly, if not monthly... Sometimes it is good for time to go by, and revisit what has happened. We had our first snow fall this week. For December in Ohio, the grass should long have turned brown, and the trees barren much sooner. We were spoiled with the grace of balmy weather, much longer than we should have. Often we complain of it being too hot, and when it is cold, wistfully waiting for the heat of summer to return. Taking a cue from mother nature, I am pulling in my energy, releasing the leaves of old, and embracing winter. A time to reflect, rest, and dream..
   Since my last post, much has happened. The beam of light, known as Lincoln Noble, returned to his creator, to become complete. I like to think it was not his heart that was really broken, but ours, and he came for a short visit to heal us here still waiting. My friend Shana is still fighting. Cancer may have robbed her of her hair, but only for a short while. Not wanting her to feel alone, I cut nearly 20 inches off of myself, so as some little girl may reap the benefit. I too have not been immune to tragedy, as I waited outside the emergency doors as my husband received a spinal tap, followed by weeks of misdiagnosis, and a stranger for a spouse, unable to leave our bed, with no end in sight. Life takes on a new importance, when it sits on the brink of death's door.
Despite the tragedy endured this year, I feel I can go into the next season with a greater appreciation of friendship, wisdom, and life. Perhaps that is the wisdom of growing older. As time moves forward like a locomotive, we opt to walk the trail instead. Things we found important in our youth, suddenly lose their meaning. We begin to value people and experiences, not the acquisition of material objects. As I burrow down into the deep, waiting for warmth to return, I will draw into the very being of stillness, and restoration. I will honor the mother within.......