Today is the final day of my 31 days without fast food. A little recap for you of things I’ve learned:
– Fast food was more a part of my routine than I thought it was. This was harder than I thought it was going to be.
– Food is my boyfriend. I am emotionally attached, in both good and bad ways. Food is how I express affection and connection, but it is also the thing I associate with shame, guilt, and avoidance. So, maybe food is a bad boyfriend. Maybe food should just be food.
– Soft poached egg on potato chips is a nice occasional treat, but should not be one’s go-to breakfast.
– Good time management means never having to go without coffee.
– Meal planning only works if you actually do it.
– You don’t have to spend a lot of money to eat well, but you will probably have to spend more than you’re used to spending.
– Guests are just as happy with a one-pot meal that took me less than an hour to make as they are with an elaborate, themed party.
– Supper Club! I’M SO EXCITED!!!
– My food choices are connected to larger issues and problems, and they can also be part of the solution to those problems.
But the most important thing I learned this month – the thing that I need to remember the most – is to extend grace.
I need to extend grace to others. Grace to others who don’t make the choices that I think are important. Grace to listen to them when they feel the need to justify those choices. Grace to really listen – not to just wait until they stop talking so that I can tell them why they’re wrong. Grace to accept that my disagreement doesn’t automatically make them wrong.
I also need to extend grace to myself, which is sometimes harder than extending grace to others. Grace to enjoy the occasional bowl of eggs with potato chips without feeling the need to justify it. Grace to accept where I am now, even if I don’t plan on staying there. Grace to appreciate my body and what it does for me.
And yes – grace to occasionally indulge in Whataburger. Just giving myself permission to do so reminds me that I have a choice, and going a month without it taught me that it’s not a choice I want to make very often. Inherent in the grace to indulge is the freedom not to.
M. Suzanne Terry 
I love so many of these bullet points. The boyfriend ones, the potato chip ones, the grace ones, the never going without coffee ones. This is good stuff.
Thank you, Abby!
“Meal planning only works if you actually do it.” Bahaha! Story of my life for this past month.
Googling Supper Club now, because you make it sound like something not to miss. 🙂
I was reading Bread and Wine and realized that Supper Club was really something I needed. I have people over sporadically, but there’s just something about a regular group of people who come over on a regular basis.