So, I am this plant strong machine, shy of almost becoming a Vegan Bitch, because I am very tenacious about my own state of well being. I am truly committed to the greener side of life. And, I try to contain my zeal at all times.
Last night, I got to see another preview of Forks Over Knives, the Brian Wendel movie that will change the way people view their food, and what they eat. (A special shout out to my endothelial cells, holla). I have seen the film five times! And each time I see it, I learn something new. I hear something with more clarity, and it always resonates to the bowels of my core.
My friend and neighbor is Lucille. She is the definition of sweet...a loving wife, mother, daughter, and grandmother. But she has this crazy relationship with bad food (like we have all had at one time or another). I always tell her that her food choices are like the bad boys we don't want our daughters to date. She dabbles with being plant strong, but will easily turn the corner for a piece of dead flesh marinated in ginger and soy.
Lucille is an outstanding cook. She knows her meat cuts like a chemist knows the Periodic Tables. And, she tastes when she cooks. At work, I often make meat-related meals for the masses, and I can barely, barely I tell you, touch the stuff. The thought of tasting it would have me hugging the toilet. But, Lucille has announced that "Jesus would have to come down from the cross" before she would give up tasting her food while cooking. And she will never give up salmon.
I love and adore Lucille. But here's what has me worried. While watching FOK last night, she gets an alarming phone call that her mother has been admitted to the ICU of a local hospital where she has had a heart attack and pneumonia. Lucille has to leave early to run off to the hospital to visit her 86 year old mother. And part of my worry comes from seeing Lucille at work where her own breathing is labored.
Now, I know I am not perfect. Really, I do. My own mother died from the ravages of lung cancer. And for this, I do not smoke, nor have I ever. As for my birthfather, he fell off a ladder, and I try to avoid climbing high places or roof tops at all costs. I am plant strong because I got scared from what could have become a stream of chronic diseases entwined with more of life's health complications.
Anyway, I am not sure how Lucille will get the "plant-strong" message in full blast, but this is where I remind myself that I only need to focus on myself and the direction I follow from being plant strong everyday.
The sound of an irregular heartbeat piercing from a heart monitor just might be enough to help Lucille. Let's hope her mom pulls through this, and let's hope that Lucille gets the message.
Plant-Strong and Proud.
It's so hard. It's so hard to watch people you love kill themselves. I have found myself only giving information when asked. My father died at 46. He had one, lethal heart attack. It only took one and he was gone from my life. He should be here. He should have met my younger sons. It kills me every day that he is not. All we can do is be the example, Char. Put the information out there in Facebook world. Invite people to see FOK. And then, we have to let it go. It's happening, the movement is getting stronger and the voices are getting louder. Pretty soon, no one will be able to ignore it. xo
ReplyDeleteThanks, Amy. Looks as thoughyou got things rolling in Chicago! Heard from some marketing peeps. All good.
ReplyDeleteI love this film.
My Mom died when she was only 64, I think that is young. I was 40 when that happened...sad to think she has been gone for 20 years.
Oh, we need to focus on the joys.
XO