What does your family say?
I got an email yesterday asking me what my family thinks about my “diet”… that is, IF they know at all. I had originally intended to put my answer in the FAQ but have decided to bore you all to tears here instead.
Yes, my family knows my diet. It is rare that I keep anything from them. They are my compass and my center. And despite the squabbles, quarrels and inevitable differences we have from time to time, I adore each and every idiosyncrasy… each and every lively debate… I hold them dear to me always and vice versa.
So…. what do they think about my “crazy eating habits”?
When I was 8 years old, I announced to my mother that I had invented a cure for thumbsucking. Clearly mass loads of babies were afflicted with the problem and I was quite certain I could solve it. The “invention” consisted of mittens filled with an odd mix of spices from our pantry. You would only have to slip the mittens on the child to prevent the thumb from gaining access to the mouth and when the mittens came off the powerful and putrid mix of spices would do the rest. Genius. While she wasn’t all that amused to find half her turmeric missing, my mother applauded my ingenuity and encouraged me (all the while hoping that I’d eventually move on to something else… which, of course, I did.) Nowadays, there isn’t a spice on the planet I couldn’t give you the history and lore of.
At 13, I decided I could turn the overgrown garden of the empty house on the corner into a Secret Garden-like vision…. complete with all the powers and mystery I had read about in Frances Burnett’s masterpiece. My parents benevolently took me to nurseries in the area and bought me gardening books to help foster my interest. You can imagine my devastation when the house was sold after many weeks, seed packets and feverish coaxing of reclusive seedlings. But my love of gardening has remained with me always.
The day I turned 19 I informed my father that I was moving to Alaska to become an Alaskan Crab Fisherman. I had seen a documentary on TV and was quite sure that this was indeed my calling despite the fact that I am only 5′ 3″, weigh about 105 lbs soaking wet and have lived in veritable endless summer and warmth my entire life. My dad calmly folded his newspaper in half and told me to “go for it.” I got as far as weather.com’s average temperatures for Alaska in January. Reality outweighed the glory and after a weeks worth of agonizing, I sheepishly told dad that I wasn’t sure Alaska was the right fit for me afterall.
I was 22 when I told my dad I had invited a complete stranger to stay with us as I was planning on hiring him to help me design a house I wanted to build. Five months later, to everyone’s surprise I married that man and my father proudly gave me away.
No matter how silly or crazy or downright asinine my ideas/goals have been over the course of my life my parents have always encouraged and supported me. I am extremely lucky in this and the raw food lifestyle I choose is no exception. In fact, my mum had purchased Victoria Boutenko’s Green For Life before I had ever even heard of the book and now makes sure to drink at least one green smoothie every morning. They respect me enough to trust that I will make the right, informed decisions about my life and health. It is these and so many other reasons why I am eternally grateful to have them in my life.
