As 2015 comes to an end, I am reminded of an experience I had a little while ago that was reflective of how I have felt about this past year.
I was feeding my daughter lunch one day, there was nothing really special about the day, or the food, or the anything really. But, as I sat with her and watched her... what she was doing started to speak to me.
She picked up her sliced apple, bit into it and grimaced in disgust. She didn't care for the skin of the apple, so started to spit it out. As it dribbled down her chin onto her shirt, she looked at the piece of uneaten apple in her hand, and touched the shiny, red skin. I could see the intelligence in her eyes identify that this was the source of her displeasure. Her tiny fingers quickly went to work, painstakingly pinching and pulling at the slippery, outer surface of the fruit, removing it from the flesh of the apple slice.
As I observed her, I thought to myself "why not just eat the part you want"? I sat there and watched her consume her time with this husk, when she could be filling her tummy with the sweet exocarp of the apple.
In that simple moment in time, I could look beyond the apple and see myself and my life. I pointedly asked myself then and there if I might be focusing on what I don't want, rather than devouring what I do.
I closed my eyes, and thought about how to teach her about this insight I had just gained. I took a deep breath, opened my eyes, and looked into my daughter's eyes (my eyes, my grandfather's eyes, my father's eyes). I said, "look, watch Mama", as I reached for another piece of sliced apple. I turned it around so the inside of the apple was facing my mouth (similar to eating a sliced piece of watermelon), and then began eating. I said "yummy!" and smiled at her while I did it.
She took the hint, turned her piece around and took a big bite and gave me a big smile. She ended up eating the rest of her apple slices that way, which I was satisfied with. We were able to clean up and continue on playing and working together that day.
I have heard that the skin of fruits and veggies are where most of the nutrients lie. However, it is often the most bitter to consume. How funny that this moment at lunchtime could relate so fully to my life this past year. The most nutritious and beneficial parts of what is placed before me, or what I choose to absorb are the very parts that taste the worst and are the hardest to choke down.
Now, as I think about it, I am proud of my daughter for eating what she did. She may not have eaten the skin of the apple that day, but that doesn't mean that she never will. I remember as a child never wanting to touch green salad, but now I love it. Or, holding a piece of pizza up by the crust and scraping all of the toppings off in preparation to eat it. As we grow and develop, our tastes change - we try new things and learn to eat what is given to us. We even learn about nutrition and the value of consuming the bitter skin. We adapt it to our liking, we brave new seasonings, we sometimes even try new tastes on a dare. All of this is acceptable, as it is part of defining and developing us as individuals. My child is being nurtured, she has choices of food to eat, and surprisingly she has a very broad palette, even at her very young age. But most importantly - she eats. She ate when she could have gone without.
After all, we could one day find ourselves without an apple at all. No choice or opportunity to taste the bitter (or the sweet). So, again, I am thankful for the wisdom I gained during our time at the table.
Sometimes the things that are the best for me can be the hardest to swallow. But, I am happy to partake of what is offered, because it may not be offered again.
