One thing I do for my family is prepare our daily lunches. My kids are all over the age of 15, so they're certainly capable of making their own and sometimes remind me I don't have to do it if I don't want to, but I like to do it. It's one fewer thing for them to have to do in the morning, and they all have to leave before I do, anyway.
However, I admit there's one thing I don't like about the lunch preparation, and that's making sandwiches. I don't know if it's the hassle of getting out all the different ingredients and then having to put them all away or what. I dislike so much standing at the counter making a sandwich for myself that I usually eat leftovers from dinner instead. I often pack those for my husband, too. However, the kids don't have access to a microwave and they like sandwiches of all kinds... ham & cheese, egg salad, PBJ, etc...
So, because it's not like it really takes all that long to do, because I'm grateful that we have the food to eat, because my kids like sandwiches, and because I like to have my family's lunches ready to go every morning, I simply suck up my dislike and make the sandwiches. You'd think that I'd slap them together hurriedly, but no... I make myself take my time. I make them neatly and even cut them in half before putting them in the containers. I'll tell you why.
I was inspired by Marge Simpson. I think it was the episode many, many years ago (before I had kids, I think!) where Homer bought a bowling ball for her birthday - inscribed with HIS name! She was angry that he didn't really buy her a present, and felt taken for granted and unappreciated. His predictable response of, "Oh, well... if YOU don't want it, I'll gladly use it" prompted her to accept the "gift" and take bowling lessons, to boot. In case you want to watch this episode, I won't spoil the whole plot, but toward the end of the episode, Homer feels bad and says to Marge something like, "You know, I just wanted to tell you that when you make my sandwich, I really like the way you spread the jelly to the edges of the bread instead of just lumping it in the middle. It's really nice of you and I wanted to let you know that I noticed." It was a sweet moment that made this viewer go, "Awwwwwww..."
I was always a "jelly-lumper" or a "squiggly-mustard-squirter" because I hurried through making sandwiches as I slapped them together. That statement by Homer Simpson changed my sandwich-making ways for good. Every morning, I still think of Marge Simpson and her love for her family.
Making a little extra effort for the people I love didn't begin with changing my sandwich-making habits, and of course it didn't end there, either. There are plenty of things all of us do in our lives to show people we care. They don't have to be big things. They can be small. As Mother Teresa used to remind people, "Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love." We might enjoy the things we do and we might not, but what we definitely enjoy is the happiness and pleasure that results from our efforts.
Our own journeys for good health are part of that. What better way to show our loved ones that we want to be around for them than by taking care of ourselves? So the next time I'm thinking about bingeing on cookies or skipping a workout, I will try to remember this blog entry. If I don't feel like doing it for myself, I think I will want to do it for them.
(On a related note, I wrote this blog - The "I Love You" Napkin - over a year ago. It's probably a lazy way to remind my kids I love them, but it's something I've done since my eldest entered kindergarten in 2002!)
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