The Light of Mine team is fasting today, October 16, in honor of World Food Day. Here is an account of our day of “hunger”-an experiment in understanding a minuscule of the suffering worldwide.
Carol:
Fasting is not something that I normally participate in because well, it just does not sound like fun. I made an exception today for World Food Day. I felt that I needed to participate to show my support and to maybe help refocus and remind myself of why I love Light of Mine so much. Instead I came to two major realizations.
1. I realized that being hungry sucks. It just sucks, you’re cranky, you cannot think straight, headaches happen, you yell at people, and literally every thought is concentrated around food.
2. I realized that I was just being hungry for a day. How much of a baby am I to be complaining about how much fasting sucks when I at least CHOOSE to do it. I knew the moment I was done fasting that I was going to have a hot steaming plate of SOMETHING in front of me.
25,000 people every single day die without ever having that choice and without ever having that comfort at the finish line. This is what we need to constantly remind ourselves of not to depress ourselves but to motivate ourselves. As Unicef says ZERO should be the number of people that die from hungry every day. Zero.
Kimberly:
12 pm: It’s lunchtime and our Tiny Seed Eater still needs to eat so I got to prepare her a meal without indulging myself. That could have been more difficult if I didn’t have so much to do to get ready for our big birthday bash happening on Saturday. Hopefully the rest of the day goes as smoothly…
3 pm: Had to make a run to the store for some additional supplies for a project I’m working on. Luckily, Seed Money (my husband) accompanied me on this “journey” without food and tagged along on the shopping trip. Misery does love company. We tried to quickly get in and out without suffering the temptation of the local food truck sitting right outside selling hot Malasadas (local sweet donut type treat). Together we resisted temptation even having to bribe Tiny Seed eater with one for being so good in the store.
6 pm: Everywhere I look there is food. On tv commercials, social media feeds, stupid Pinterest and its recipes. I’m obsessed with wanting to eat right now. I tried working on responding to a few emails and simply could not focus long enough to even want to do it. I am truly amazed at how grouchy I feel and how much effort I’m having to put into the slightest activity. I’m rocking a pretty constant headache as we finish out this fast and I know I’ll have to stop by later and finish this post-all I can think about is food.
Today sucked.
I was moody, hungry, irritable, unfocused, tired, grouchy, and weak. One day without food and I immediately felt the effects of its absence. I literally wanted to sleep until I could wake up and eat again.
Today was one day. I knew when I was going to eat again, I confidently fed my child throughout the day without having to worry about her suffering, I didn’t have to waste any of my depleted energy worrying about tomorrow. It was one day.
I simply can’t imagine the magnitude of suffering 1 billion people are enduring at this very moment. I’m pissed! How is this happening at the same moment I can broadcast my every thought with the click of a mouse? It is simply mind-blowing.
I went into this World Food Day thinking myself and the LoM team would be better able to identify with the billion people we are working so tirelessly for. However, I have never felt more disconnected. I have no idea how they survive, no idea how they comfort their children, or even make it through the day knowing there is no food again today, and none coming tomorrow. How do they survive, much less thrive? I’m in awe of the human spirit and am renewed in my lifelong commitment to eradicate hunger so my daughter can chose a different cause to dedicate her life to.
Today sucked.
Kimberly, Chief Seed Sower
Light of Mine, Seeds of Hope
http://www.lightofminetees.com
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