When I was 38, I had an infant, preschooler and. . .third, fourth, and sixth graders.
The older children were involved in lots of activities that required me to be behind the wheel, constantly.
Age 38
The following is an excerpt from my journal during that season of life in 1999:
“Baby is cranky because he needs to eat. Kids are s-t-a-r-v-i-n-g! The kids ask, ‘What’s to eat?’ Good question. I grab a box of cereal from the pantry shelf and toss it on the table as I pass through the house to nurse the screaming baby. Hopefully, there’s a gallon of milk in the refrigerator for the cereal. ‘Don’t forget to rinse out your bowls when you’re done,’ I shout from a room away.”
Today, I speak up on behalf of, and in support of young families.
Had I known twenty years ago what I know today, I would’ve slowed down the pace.
Significantly.
The American rat race that young families get swept into—and are expected to fully participate in—is treacherous.
It’s dangerous to marriages, to bodies, to health and well-being, and myriad of other things.
At one point I became so exhausted that my therapist told me I had lost myself to my marriage and children—-and I needed to stop.
Immediately.
I needed to rest. I needed to create again. I needed to jump off the craziness of the rat race.
If you are in the young parenting season of life, don’t allow the rat race of our culture to block out your needs for sound sleep, relaxation, daily exercise, food shopping and preparation in order to eat quality nutrition.
Be gentle with yourself.
You only have one body.
Don’t burn out your transmission.
Love to all young families. ❤️
Emily Boller, artist, mother, and author of Starved to Obesity, lost 100 pounds more than fifteen years ago by eating an abundance of high-nutrient, plant-rich food. Today, she’s certified in whole plant food nutrition from the Nutritarian Education Institute. She’s on a mission to combine practical, no-nonsense and cost-effective tips—with easy to understand science—in order to help anyone escape the addictive grip of the Standard American Diet. And now, she’s on a mission to bring awareness to the suffocating and potentially deadly trap of eating disorders as well.