When I started eating differently, I was afraid. Of what, I could not tell you. Perhaps some rouge tofu might attack me at the grocery store once it found out I was looking at recipes with beans and lentils. I am still, truth be told, a little wary of tofu.
But, it always seems to be like that, doesn’t it? Trying something new is scary.
Six months ago I talked my mom into trying a Silver Sneakers class at her Y. She was nervous and reluctant. But I know my mom. She likes people, music, and dancing. And we just happened to walk into the best class in town with Lisa leading the way. Now when I am back visiting we don’t miss her class! It’s a room full of people dancing and moving and health and life surround it all.
But pushing someone else to try a new thing is so much easier then doing it yourself. I like to learn about new things, but actually doing them is a different story. For example, I read about cooking tofu for months, but when I actually touched the tofu, I wore my skeptical face with wrinkled up nose, and kept repeating, “Remember… this is just soybeans…you like soybeans…”
Fast forward to this 4th of July. I talked my dad into trying a recipe for grilled carrot dogs. It couldn’t be more scary than the weird white soybeans, right? Besides we were in this adventure together.
But they were delicious! I’m still in disbelief myself. If you are laughing at me right now, know that I am laughing too!
I noticed that I try new things when people I love and respect encourage me down a road of change.
I thought of this on this Fourth of July. The few who tried a new way. Trusting the people. A belief that we are always better as a sum of our parts than any one of us alone. We need each other because change is scary. And because not a single one of us has all the good.
But each one of us can take another’s hand and walk toward health and life. That direction is easy to recognize: healthy living is always a building force and not a destructive one. It is free-ing.
So make that positive social connection in real life, take a friend to a joyful exercise class, or laugh while grilling carrots. (Have we now seen everything?!) Take that chance this Fourth of July and see if your heart feels just a little more free.
