As my mother's story goes, a family friend mentioned this to her when I was still young in the world.
To provide some explanation as to why the Fast is such a challenge for me, some historical context is needed. I am told when I was a baby/toddler, food was something that shouldn't be messed around with.
Having food on my plate on time and at the right temperature was paramount to a happy Jeff. Fast forward 37 years later and little has changed. Since I started this year's fast I've had a few people ask me about the physical side of not eating and how it affects my energy levels and general humor, so I figured now is a good time to touch on that.
I go through my regular work and activity routine with one added element: fasting.
Do I get hungry? Thirsty? Yes. Do I get cranky? Heck yes. It also brings the added benefit of somewhat interesting breath. I usually carry a bottle of mouthwash with me so I don't accidentally make someone pass out with my bad breath.
I used to think there was some magical way I could make this time easier. Research into foods with the ability to reduce hunger pangs all day turned up some results but nothing that could keep me full and content throughout.
Abstention from anything isn't easy. I'm not sure the fast is expected to be easy either. Maybe it's a time to strengthen or exercise the spiritual muscles. The more I do this the more I realize -- I'm usually slow to change folks -- that there is more to this time of year than the eating part.
To help get my creative juices flowing I snap a photo per day. Today you have two.
A pleasant surprise in the last couple of days has been one of my daughters waking up a little bit early. It's been a fun time.
The opinions and views expressed in this blog are mine only and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of any institution of the Baha’i Faith. I recommend you go right to the source. A good resource is a Baha'i Teachings website.
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