Lately, I have been feeling like a puzzle piece is missing in our life. With our busy schedule we have little time together as a family and most of our time consists of running errands, bedtime routines, etc. I miss the days when I purposefully planned our activities ranging from zoo trips to finger-painting. I miss lazing around drinking coffee and reading the paper. I miss volunteering my time to serve others. So much of our life has become go-go-go. The chaos has me yearning for something more.
Last week, I was asked by a friend to take the Hunger Challenge as part of Hunger Action Week. It came at an opportune time as I was feeling a bit empty--both spiritually and physically. Hunger is very real for us. Dale and I are part of the "working poor". We both have full-time jobs but with the high cost of living, price of childcare, insurance, gas and bills, we don't have much left for food. We live on a strict budget which amounts to about $7 a day for our family of 4. Frankly, we were doing better when I was a stay-at-home mom and we qualified for public assistance when we received $526/month for food.
Living on little requires strict meal planning, couponing, and buying generic foods. However, it doesn't mean sacrificing healthy and balanced meals for our family. We eat a lot of veggies, hearty soups, and lentils. Fortunately, we have a $34/ week organic produce box from Full Circle Farms which makes much of our meal planning effortless as we have to think creatively about how we cook and eat. After we pay the $34 box, we only spend $10-15 extra on milk, eggs, and protein. Occasionally, we spend extra if protein is on sale or we run out of staples like flour and sugar. We don't waste food; anything leftover we freeze; we only grocery shop once a week. All these things allow us to eat healthy and feel full. For us, living on less has become easy.
However, there are weeks, when I crave a good steak or am torn when the kids ask for two types of jam. I am tempted by frozen meals and canned soups, especially when I am busy. We have learned to live with what we have instead of wanting more. We are able to make this work with hard work, frugality, and a commitment to eating healthy.
We have our shortfalls too. Last week, I paid for milk in quarters I scrounged from the car. We had just paid childcare and insurance and had $13 to last the next week. I hate that feeling. Alas, we get by unlike many families that live on less than we do.
This week I was reminded of living with intention. I used to volunteer weekly, donate to charities, and reflect daily. With all the chaos, I have stepped away from this way of life and have found myself feeling a lack of purpose; vision; passion; and community. I am hungry for change.
United Way of King County is working tirelessly to inspire others to spark the conversation surround hunger and encourage others to take action during Hunger Action Week. My class will be sponsoring a food drive at school. We will deliver the food to Northwest Harvest where it will be distributed to families in need. This action has inspired me to inspire others. I got my 4 year olds excited by telling them we were going to become real-life superheros about to save the world from hunger. I am excited to see how this will develop; how it will inspire me to keep giving back and keep living intentionally.
So what will you do to prevent hunger? Furthermore, are you living an intentional life? What inspires you? What keeps you going? What are you hungry for?
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