Icing on the Cake

Have you ever noticed that people are more likely to buy a cookbook that is full of pictures rather than just recipes with an occasional picture? I've long realized this about myself but I never really stopped to question it. I know first hand that just because something looks good doesn't mean it will taste good and vice versa. A good recipe is all about the components, the flavors and the way they are brought together. Sure a little garnish is nice and perfect grill marks are appreciated, but in terms of overall taste they don't add much. So why do we hold the picture in such high esteem... hell we'll probably never be able to get it to look that good anyway. 

... I have a theory...

Cooking is hard work. It requires time. Not only to cook the meal itself but also to shop for ingredients and then when it's all over you have to wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. Wouldn't it be far easier puncture the cellophane top on the Chicken Tika Masala from Trader Joes and pour it into a pretty bowl and throw away the evidence? Trust me they're delicious. But no... If I'm gonna go through all the trouble to shop and cook and clean I better be able to see the end result. It's called incentive people and until they learn how to make scratch and sniff cookbooks, sight is all we have. The question is, in what other areas of our life do we do this?

Have you ever taken a picture of your self in bikini and photo shopped it as diet incentive? How about putting together a collage of vacation destinations to get you through the work day. I wonder though do we ever use this tool to our own detriment. How many times do we find ourselves disappointed when our realities differ from the perfect picture we made in our minds? Is that reality somehow diminished just because it's not what we had always imagined? What happens when we spend so much time working towards that future goal that we forget to cherish the moment?

Sometimes I think we are so averse to hard work that we need far too much motivation in order to achieve something. There's something wonderful about working hard... it always comes with transformation. Making something new, something that didn't exist before. That's a mind blowing thought... to be able to work to bring something into existence. Not only do you bring something new to the world, but you very often discover something new about yourself. Strengths you never knew you had. Feelings start to emerge... confidence, pride, wonder, appreciation. 

So what about relationships? For the first time in my life I'm discovering just how much work they are. It would be nice if I knew things were all going work out in the end, but hell what is the end anyway (that's a different post entirely). The truth is my boyfriend is not someone I ever saw myself with... I always thought I'd end up with a cowboy. Wranglers, boot's, Stetson. Yeah that didn't really happen. Does that mean he's any less wonderful or that I can't appreciate him for who he is? Of course not. I find myself relishing in the moments. Holding hand's while we study in yet another coffee shop or dancing badly in the kitchen. A relationship, like a meal, is about the components and the way they are brought together to create something worthwhile. It might require a little heat... but that's half the fun. 

Protein. Carbs. Fat.

     So I'm done with what I'm told is the hardest quarter of medical school and I'm still alive. I'm exhausted...mentally, emotionally and physically; but still sure that I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be. I'm not sure whether it's the amazing coffee, the magnificent views of Lake Washington, the green trails in my backyard that I get to run , or the beautiful hearts of the people I have met who have shown me such love and acceptance... but I feel very much at home here. I have found a new normal and I have to say I don't know how I got so lucky. 

     I have however neglected one very important thing these past six months... my writing. These posts take me more time to write than I felt I had to give, but there seems to be something magical that comes from taking a few hours to share my thoughts... I'm not sure I can be whole without writing. So I'm back with a new blog dedicated to balance. It's so easy to let school take up my entire life... God knows there is always more to learn, another body part to memorize... but I promised my self before I started this journey that I would not lose myself in the pursuit of a degree. 

     You might wonder about the title of this blog... don't worry this will not turn into a diet blog. I don't pretend to understand bio chemistry well enough to give anyone advice about what they should eat or how they should exercise... I'm still figuring that out for myself. What I do know is that the body requires certain nutrients in certain amounts and those amounts vary for everyone. I also know that the body is capable of breaking down the things you eat into completely different forms. Protein can become fat. Carbs are not the enemy that people would make them out to be... in fact every cell in your body runs on them. Fat is integral to the to the function of our brains and the formation of memories. I could go on forever but my point is our bodies are so amazing and they have to ability to absorb the nutrients that we take in and transform them into the structures we need to carry out a multitude of functions. 

     Our soul works the same way... transforming experiences, information, and love into what we need to enrich our lives and thrive. I'm not exactly sure how much of my time I can give to writing but I do know that I'm not fulfilled without it... I'm not me. I'm also not perfect so please bare with me and what I know will be infrequent posts despite my best efforts and intentions.