are you starving?
Kids can be so stubborn! Especially about food.
Do you remember the days of trying to feed your twelve month old? Cue the trains sounds, silly faces, and fake baby food tasting to convince this tiny package of dynamite that it wants to devour a pile of smashed up, smelly sludge rather than exploding it all over the kitchen. Who wins this battle? Always the baby.
Then something happens. This baby changes and becomes an eating machine. And we transform from a pureed pea magician into the daily lunch lady and janitor. Serving food and cleaning up messes.
Jody’s Mini Mess Maker
Finally, our kids become old enough to find their own food and feed themselves! It’s a glorious day. Until we hear these words, “I’m starving. There is no food in this house!” One of my kids is in this stage right now. As a mom, I can’t help but respond, “Yes, clearly you are starving. There is a fridge full of vegetables and piles of fruit on the table, but you are indeed starving.” So, why does she think she is starving? It’s clearly not true.
There are starving children all over the world, but mine is not one of them. She has never known what it is like to be without food, but she does know what it feels like to starve. We all have.
Because starvation isn’t just about food. We can be starved for love and affection, social interaction, physical contact, face to face conversations, coffee with friends, and hugging our parents. When the nourishment of our normal routine changes, we start to starve.
Do you know what it looks like when a person is starving to death? They become weak. Body functions are impacted as organs deteriorate. If they don’t receive nourishment - the vitamins and minerals found in food - they die.
Are we starving physically? Of course not. Are we frustrated by not being able to find all the things we want? Maybe. But how is our emotional state? My daughter normally spends several days a week with her grandparents, but right now she is starved and has no physical contact with them. It’s hard. Just like my daughter, are we starving and needing nourishment?
When we hit this state, we hope for survival. And we know that our character will be permanently changed if we can make it through. So, let’s make it through. And let’s do it well to show our kids how to be strong and feed themselves when scarcity comes in any form.
So, how do we feed ourselves when we are empty. First, we can’t let scarcity and starvation overtake us. We have to be mentally prepared to fight our way through.
And then, be practical, hands on, and creative.
Need love and affection? Start each morning by hugging everyone in your family whether you like them right now or not!
Hoping for face to face conversations? Take time for a porch party or front yard meet up with your neighbors.
Miss coffee with friends? Brew a pot, grab your phone, and start a group message to catch up.
Can’t see and hug your parents? Teach them FaceTime, get on call, and make them laugh. This is the one I plan to do this week!
Starvation builds character when we are persistent and determined to get what we need and become healthy again.
As we become healthy, everything changes - our perspective, our hopes, our character and desire to love others well. And do you know what else changes? Our ability to keep nourishing ourselves and stay healthy.
I know that because my son is the healthiest he has ever been physically. He works hard to improve his physical fitness and it has increased his appetite immensely. Have you ever seen a pasta salad this big?
Homemade Pasta Salad For One
His sister will help him, but it will be gone in just a few days. Why? Because he is running toward self improvement and being healthy in every way. And for that, he needs repeated nourishment.
Just like we do in all areas of our lives. If you are in a state of starvation right now and need help, please tell me. You can email me directly at jody@reddirtrecollective.com and I’ll work to help you get what you need. Don’t go through it alone.
For the rest of us, let’s not just hope for survival but purposefully pursue getting what we need during starvation and scarcity to get healthy and stay there. Let’s take time to nourish ourselves. I know we can do it!
Searching for wisdom and asking for grace,
Jody