Tears

I've cried so many tears in the last year and a half.

More than I ever have in my life, I think.

Tears of sorrow.

Tears of gratitude.

Tears of sadness.

Goodbye tears.

Afraid tears.

Overwhelmed tears.

Tears of regret.

Tears of inadequacy.

Tears full of love.

Tears full of hope.

Tears in the quiet, alone -- just me and God.

Tears in the arms of friends.

Tears on the phone.

Tears while texting.

Tears when I'm out running.

Tears of amazement, as you stand there humbled.

So many, many tears.

And the other night, on the couch, shedding yet some more...

I found myself thinking about how they've washed me.

Those tears have washed my heart out, let it all rush through and out and around.

So cleansing.

So healing.

Sometimes, crying is the very best thing to do.

Drinking to Health

I've been thinking lots and lots about green this week.

I've always loved green for many reasons (see here for example), but this week I've been thinking about eating green.

It started with going to this lady's presentation last week with a girlfriend of mine. And I loved what I heard, what I tasted, how I felt inspired, and have loved and been interested in her book that I've been reading this week.

Every morning I drink a quart of green smoothie.

And what's even better: my children are drinking green smoothie. They cheer when the blender is going each morning.

It is part of breakfast at our house.

My children are drinking raw spinach, collards, kale, chard, and even broccoli, celery and avocado. And the greens list of possibility goes on and on and on.....

It's pretty fabulous.

There's a little bit of blended fruit in as well, but the idea is high green content with a little fruit. We get all our vitamins in this drink, plus a slew of other benefits. And I've been throwing in flaxseed too.

And it's got me thinking a lot about what I'm putting into my body and what I shouldn't be putting into my body and what habits I really need to break.

(They stare at me constantly in my face.)

And some, frankly, I feel unwilling to part with at this point. (Ice cream would be one.)

And today, while driving to IKEA, I noticed a big billboard from the golden arches. And because I've been thinking a lot about healthy food intake, it caught my eye.

It had a delicious looking pink colored (as I recall) smoothie. And below, these words:

REAL fruit smoothie.

Really? How far have we come to have to say that our fruit smoothies have real fruit inside?

Shouldn't a fruit smoothie be fruit?

I've been thinking about all the processed foods and meat-protein that fill the average American's diet and feeling a bit paralyzed by all the work I want to do to be eating better.

The thing is, it feels better.

Water + whole bunch of greens + little fruit.

I think my arms and legs and muscles and tissues and blood and, indeed, my whole heart is smiling in my-green-smoothie-choice each day.

Yes, folks, my heart.