Becoming Our Parents
As I rinsed my gallon Ziploc bag and set it out to dry, I remembered my horror watching my mom do the same when I was a kid. She would wash used Ziploc bags and set them out to dry; a gently used paper towel was simply hung up so it could be used again. I was mortified by what I perceived as my mom’s cheapness, and over-the-top green ways.
What I see now is that my mom was not being cheap – she was being thoughtful. It wasn’t just with bags and paper towels. My mom was an early adopter of bringing her own bags to the grocery store – in fact, they were not bags, but willow baskets she wove herself. My mom never went to the gym because chopping wood provided cardio and strength training (to this day, she has the most beautifully toned, bronzed arms – all from working the land). Coffee out? Never. Sunlight and brisk air are the best wake up call. You’re hungry? There’s plenty of food that needs to be eaten in the fridge. Road trip – we will pack a cooler of snacks – no need for fast food.
Back then, I desperately wished we could be more like other people. Please could we not stink up the car with homemade kale chips and instead get some french fries?!
Of course, now, I think my mom is brilliant. The quest is one of fiscal responsibility and environmental consciousness, but it’s also so much more than that. The quest is to be thoughtful – thoughtful about the things in our lives and the things that surround us that make our environment beautiful. It is to make deliberate choices that serve not just the current season of life we’re in but endure through shifting phases and desires. My mom chooses things that nourish and sustain her – quality over quantity, sustainable over trendy, homemade over processed. These choices have served my mom well financially, but also in so many other ways – she’s healthy, strong, agile, and happy.
We don’t all have to be like my mom (although I hope to become more and more like her) but there is a lesson to learn. How can we make thoughtful long-term choices that serve us? Can we save up and buy quality over quantity? Can we reuse more than we buy new? Can we eat the food in the refrigerator before it goes bad instead of getting a quick and easy takeout meal? Can we see weeding the yard as exercise and mental health instead of as a chore? Are there ways we can change our habits that support our overall wellness? My mom’s ways show me that we can, and I feel so lucky to finally, in my 30s, be able to see that.