I was going to write about the obesity epidemic, and the new report that shows it's worsening across the nation, yet . . . what on earth is there left to say about that? Plant a Victory Garden and eat fresh, organic whole food? Explore your WalkShed every day? Enough. How many times can I beat that dead horse?
So, there I was, once again, with a fistful of herbs, heading to a neighbor's house, when it hit me. Something to share. Ever since I have had my garden, I have had something to share. I no longer show up empty-handed. No one ever leaves my house anymore without a little something. It takes me just a few moments to gather a surprise. I save jars to fill with flowers and herbs and leave at doorsteps like old-time milk deliveries. And I am never, ever stuck having to run out to the store in the middle of rush hour or rain when I want to thank someone who has done something nice for me or give a little pick-me-up to someone in pain. And although the folks to whom I give these things appreciate them, I know that I'm the one who really gets the gift.
Forget the diet benefits of gardens. There are health benefits--connections to other people--that it is perhaps easy to overlook. And when push comes to shove, and the temptation to shove junk into our mouths comes to us, isn't this all we really want? A way to share?
Back to obesity, I do have something to share with you. Click "launch" next to this map and, wow. As it ticked off each year and showed the change state-by-state, I thought of big events that happened in my life during those years. Marriages. Moves. Babies born. Other momentous occasions I have shared with those close to me. And now, it looks like we share these harrowing statistics across the nation. Ouch.
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