Today was my day to fast.  For two years my doc’s been asking me to fast, so he could run a particular test.  I never do it.  I love my food.  I love to have my breakfast (quietly and with the paper) before others get up.  I love my 10 a.m. snack.  Lunch with clients?  A must!  And then there’s my I-need-a-bump chocolate at 3 and … well you get the picture.  I’m eating all the time.  But I was determined today.

I had a plan: Get up at 4 am (please don’t judge me), so that I could eat breakfast and still fast the requisite number of hours prior to my appointment! Perfect! I knew that if I wanted to be a decent human being today, I needed to at least have my morning waffle. I was right and was still happy by 9:30! Easy Peasy.

By 10, I was not happy.

I wanted coffee.  Now!  Off the list.  By 10:30 I could smell someone’s donut.  I walked around the office but no one would admit to having one.  By 11 I was opening and closing my drawer (the one with food) as if I was going to just cheat and have those chocolate covered nuts.  By noon, people were cooking in the kitchen. So, I closed my office door and laid on my floor, only to see some popcorn kernels near my head, which I was tempted to eat!  Don’t they vacuum our floors?  I’m clearly cranky now.

By the time of my appointment, I don’t have my happy face on.  I tell the nurse that I need to have my blood drawn and she says, “After you see the doctor.”  S***!  

While I love my doctor, I had a difficult time concentrating and all I wanted to say was, “Get in and get out!”  But that kind of talk seemed pretty inappropriate given the kind of appointment I was at.

But, as my mind was drifting and I had trouble concentrating, I realized something: This is what some children feel like when they don’t have enough money for breakfast or lunch.  This is the way people feel, who get their food from garbage cans – or who don’t get it at all.  How do children learn when they’re hungry?

In the end, I spent an hour talking with my doctor about all my life changes, all his life changes and getting old(er).  I didn’t run out of there like a crazy woman.  I waited patiently for my blood draw and then walked to my car — where my snack was waiting for me.  As I ate it, I decided I want to find a way to help one person avoid that feeling of hunger.  Imagine if we all helped just one person have enough (or just more) food.  One person per lifetime – sounds life changing, right?  Food for thought (no pun intended), don’t you think?

Have an amazing start to your week.