I hadn’t realized it, but as we started our family, it became much more difficult to change and try new things for myself. I hadn’t realized that all the “change” energy I possessed was spent on my sweet babies and husband. Don’t leave me hanging. Please tell me I’m not alone!
We moved to North Carolina from Chicago when we had a 15 mo. old and I was 7 mo. pregnant with our second. We packed everything we could in one HUGE carload, leaving very little room for our firstborn child. We joked he would have to be strapped to the roof!
Moving cross-country and leaving behind a huge network of friends and family was something I was excited about, but ultimately was my first big change. Once we got here, everything was new. I became a stay-at-home mom. We had our second baby, and again, everything was new.
This season left me with absolutely no energy for trying new things for myself. Everything around me took from me. As the baby phase of life has come to a close, I think I can say, “Yes, it’s time to change some things for myself.”
My story began when I was diagnosed with hyperparathyroidism at the age of 17 and began thyroid medicine by 18. The medicine became so much a part of me, and my condition was isolated and under control, that I didn’t think anything of it. But when my joints started aching a bit too much in my 30s, I was a little more concerned and tried ways to alleviate the pain. Nothing worked long term. The final straw was when I started noticing my hair growing thin this past year. I was WAY too young to be struggling with these problems. I was simply not going to accept thinning hair and aching joints as getting old…I was not old!
So where has this taken me? I have chosen to pursue functional medicine for myself and follow the AIP (Autoimmune Protocol) approach for my diet. I pray that with time my body will heal and I will be able to add foods back into my diet, but let me tell you, adopting the AIP diet has not been easy for me. It has tested my discipline and endurance. I have failed a hundred times and given up. I have decided to keep getting back up and sticking with it for the long haul. I want to thrive in this life, not just survive. For myself. For my husband. For my kids.
What is one thing you can change today that will improve your life so you can thrive and not just survive? Maybe it starts with waking up before the kids or going to bed 30 minutes earlier so you get more sleep. Maybe it means walking more or stretching your body. What about starting a food journal? It might mean spending more time at the meat counter and the produce section of the grocery store and buying less pre-packaged food. Make a meal that you love for your family one night. There are big and small ways that we all want to see our life changed, but the only way to eat an elephant is one bite at a time. Take a bite and move toward tomorrow. Mercies are new each day!