Realization

So my Uncle Tony (he was my godfather - I call him Parren) passed away - it was a very hard thing - he was a man full of energy and life - always had a smile on his face and never met a stranger.  He lived "on the bayou" - meaning in South Louisiana - Galliano - it's Cajun country - people who love their red beans, etoufee, jambalaya, anything fried and beer to name a few.  Needless to say, the health of the average person there is probably average to poor (and that's probably being conservative).  Many people have cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer's, on dialysis, going through chemo, and so many other things.  The more I've learned about healthy eating and healthy lifestyles, there's one thing that I've learned - most of these conditions are preventable or reversible - with a little bit of effort and simple lifestyle changes.

Yesterday was the funeral - it was tough - very touching - I'd never seen that many people at a funeral before.  The line was out the door and down the street - one man said that he waited 2 hours to get in (they stopped the line at one point to say the rosary) - another couple said they tried to come in the first time and couldn't get in, so they came back a second time and were able to come in.  And another couple tried 3 times!  He was an amazing man to touch that many lives.

It was weird though - as a health conscious person - to be down there - and to see all of the food (you can't even begin to imagine all the stuff that was brought) - all creamy ,buttery, fatty, starchy foods - and eating all that stuff was what killed my Parren - and these people were stuffing themselves full of it - not caring about their health (I heard 2 people say that they were fat and they didn't care - and they would eat what they wanted and died when they did) - it really opened my eyes.  To me, that was just as sad as losing my Parren - these are all people that I care about - and you'd think that after my Parren died, people would have a real wakeup call.  And there were tons of excuses - it's stress eating, I need comfort food, all this has to be eaten...........  sigh...

When my Parren was in the hospital in Mobile, he told my Nannie that they needed to clean up their lifestyle - they needed to start eating better and they needed to start exercising.  So I was hoping to see a little bit of an effort.  But I'm hoping that in the weeks and months to come that they can babystep to that - and that maybe Jimmy and I can help them.  It's just a little disheartening when I make myself a piece of salmon and a salad and people grimace, look at me like I have 5 heads and say "what's that" (and not in a curious way - more like a "that's gross" way).  Or if I decide to have a little indulgence - I had a little mac and cheese and a couple of beers - EVERYONE jumps down my throat "you can't have that" - or - "Kelly - you drink beer?!" - or - the one I always hate "Ella, you need to eat or you're going to be skinny like Kelly"  - a)I did this out of my own choosing b)it's not a cult or a religion - it's clean, healthy eating c) if I choose to indulge, that's my choosing and my problem - I don't need comments from the peanut gallery.  d)let's take a look in the mirror - I eat healthy and workout and I am healthy and full of energy...you eat like shit, are obese, don't workout and are always tired, irritable and feel like shit - YOU figure out which is a better lifestyle.

Like I said, my heart is saddened and my eyes were opened to what I saw and experienced.  I do what I do because I love to help people - but sometimes people make it so hard....