End of Month - A Changed Person

Many times when we genuinely desire to participate in something that helps others, we come away feeling like it almost helped us more than we helped. In setting out to give, we find that we are the ones who received the gift.

When I returned from Honduras and Guatemala last year, where I went to work with an organization called Manos Chicas Corezones Grandes (Little Hands Big Hearts), I came back feeling so grateful for many things I had taken for granted -- chief among them -- clean streets. In Honduras, nearly every street around the town of Trujillo where we stayed, had sewer running down one or both sides. Back in America, I would drive up my street just amazed at how we didn't have sewer bordering the road.

Taking this one-month experiment, I set out to bring awareness to the plights of others. But in the process, it completely changed my life. I no longer drive home thinking about where I plan to stop and spend money on food. I no longer think of food like an event, entertainment, or the source of variety in my life. Food has become the equivalent of fuel to me, and frankly, I need a lot less fuel than the amount of food I had been feeding my body. When we eat for fuel, we eat more balanced meals or snacks, and we eat less.

Instead of getting together at restaurants with friends, they came over. Sometimes my house was a mess, and sometimes it wasn't. But I knew they were coming over to spend time with me. It wasn't just that we both craved sushi or that Diner-X was a conveniently-located drinking hole. Instead of staring into my freezer saying, "What looks good," I started picking up an item and saying, "Okay, what can I do with this?"

After 30 days of no food shopping, I have a really healthy relationship with food -- much healthier than I have had in a very long time. And I lost 7 pounds without even trying!

When I shared with people about my experiment, many of you said, "That's cool. I'm going to do it too." In fact, today is May 1, and you'd think I'd be at the store stocking up. But I'm not. I probably will get some milk.

As many of you know, Dad was in the hospital for nearly a month. When he came home, he still needed care. He doesn't need 24-hour care, but since I live a couple blocks from my folks, while mom is at work I walk over and have lunch with him. I have to admit that at first I was excited about being able to access mom's stash of fruits and veggies!! (After all, I ate whatever I made for him.) But as the month went on, I found that even at their house, food was fuel; what really nourished me was time with Dad -- time I never would have had otherwise.

I have changed a great deal for the better this past month, and it started with no food shopping. It continued as I put my attention on people more than on food, and as our personal connections grew beyond the kitchen.

Don't get me wrong -- I still love to cook and I enjoy making great food. My Pampered Chef kitchen items are among my most prized earthly possessions. But they are indeed simply tools that further enhance my life. It is not food that adds flavor to all things good -- it is first and foremost the people with whom we share our lives. This 30-day experiment has reminded me of that.

Thank you for taking this wonderful journey with me.