I don't think I thought about retirement at all until the last two years I was working. I knew when I started my job at the hospital there would be a pension plan and insurance package, but I didn't think about how valuable these perks would become. At twenty-one years old, retirement was the last thing I could think of. My goal at the time was the American Dream, to own a home and have a family. I was never one to dream of world travel or exotic vacations, I just wanted a solid marriage and healthy children. I wanted dirt, a good healthy earth. I wanted room for a garden.
I dreamt of growing our food, becoming self-sustaining, and shielding our family from food scarcity, insecurity, pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides. From my years at college, I was always searching for a better way to live and eat. I didn't want my children to have processed food. I wanted them to have the best shot of living life as happy and healthy human beings.
I began this journey by breastfeeding them until they were a year old, then preparing fresh food as they grew, making homemade yogurt, banana swirls, and oatmeal. Juicing each morning, was the next step, I would juice organic veggies and fruits as their breakfast drink.
They loved it and as they grew older, would take out of the fridge bowels of prepped goods toss them into the juicer, and take them off to the bus stop to get to school on time. My three sons thrived and became good students and superb athletes.
When my daughter was born some seven-plus years after my last son, she fell into harmony with our habits, she would be the one to share this lifestyle with her friends and family. Most could not believe that her mother would buy carrots and apples in 50-pound bags, but that was the norm for me in the good ole days. As I said, studying nutrition in college was my thing. I know all you youngins think, what's the big deal, but this was back in 1973, when Teflon was king in cooking, as was talcum powder, both proven killers.
Now I am a #silverblogger and have time to reflect on my choices and things that I have done over the years, I ask myself, where did all that time go? I remind myself how good life has been to me, even though I was challenged many times, with illness and injury, and the passing of my parents, friends, and family, I realize there is a circle of life that all of us must accept. When I see my eight grandchildren, healthy and all growing like weeds, I am pleased and a calmness comes over me, a true sense of peace.
Life is good, a gift so we need to wake up and listen to nature, see the path we are headed for, stop the madness, get back to the basics, and care for ourselves, our loved ones, and MOTHER EARTH.
Break bread together, be kind, and share. We only have one life to live, do it with zest...now where's the butter?
