Prioritizing is Part of Mothering

I just sent my youngest son, almost 3, out into the first real snow of winter.  Fat snowflakes are falling hard and he could no longer resist the urge to go out and play with his dad and brother. So, I bundled him in layers and sent him out giggling.

But, I already know that he is bound to get cold because I sent him out ill equipped for such cold weather.

After much searching his “winter” coat can not be found.  His skin is only guarded by long johns, a heavy fleece jacket, hat, mittens, socks and boots.  This is not enough and only time will tell when the snow will lose its magic and the cold and wet will win out. My son, however, is happily oblivious to this and plays on with no care except to how he gather more snow for the snowman he is helping make.

You see he doesn’t prioritize having a warm coat on because he doesn’t know yet that without it he will soon be forced to miss out on the fun of the snowfall.  Such is the joy of childhood – not yet knowing consequences to action.  This is both good and bad, depending on the situation.

Adults, however, do not have this luxury.  And yet we often act as though we do.  We pretend that our actions, our being ill-equipped for the things life throws at us are of no consequence.  We learn information and throw it aside based on how we “feel” or how we decide to live that day unto itself.  I, for one, know I am quite guilty of this.  And, because of consequences to those actions I am now having to overcome, I am stopping certain actions and habits in my life so that when life’s weather changes I am prepared.

As a mother you have been given the amazing gift of being responsible for yourself and your children.  And you must prioritize responsibility by guarding your children against things and events they are oblivious to.  Cold weather, hot weather, jumping off of high places, swimming alone, on and on.

One thing that they are oblivious to but you are not is their health and your health. It is part of the motherhood calling.  It is in your power to change the course of their future health and the course of yours by daily decisions you make.  And you can do it by prioritizing one simple thing: eat real food, not things that claim to be food but are made in a lab.  Real food for your very real life.

So much information is thrown at us daily.  Caloric intake, sodium content, “good” cholesterol, “bad” cholesterol… it’s annoying and frustrating to wade through it all and find the actual truth of it all, because, hey, EVERYONE has an agenda.  But if you prioritize eating real food then all the other information on those silly food labels will fall into the right place.