{"id":36773,"date":"2016-12-13T19:11:55","date_gmt":"2016-12-14T03:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cleanfooddirtygirl.com\/?p=36773"},"modified":"2021-02-08T13:40:21","modified_gmt":"2021-02-08T21:40:21","slug":"i-cried-when-i-wrote-this-garlicky-lemon-greens-instant-pot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cleanfooddirtygirl.com\/i-cried-when-i-wrote-this-garlicky-lemon-greens-instant-pot\/","title":{"rendered":"I Cried When I Wrote This + Garlicky Lemon Greens (Instant Pot + Stove Top)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dear body of mine,<\/p>\n

Yes you. The body that’s been with me since I was just a wee one. The body that’ll be with me until I take my last breath.<\/p>\n

I want to have a chat with you. Because it hit me the other day that I often take you for granted and I’ve been terribly unkind to you in the past. And despite this, you\u2019ve continued to do your job without missing a beat.<\/p>\n

So here\u2019s what I need to tell you dear body. Here\u2019s what my heart wants you to know.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry for not defending you when I was a little girl and people made fun of you. They called you Froggy because your eyes were so big. They said you were from Ethiopia because you were so skinny. They called you a ghost and ran away from you because you were so pale. They called you Mickey because your ears were so big.<\/p>\n

And for a long time, I believed them.<\/p>\n

As I grew into a teenager, I didn\u2019t like you very much because I thought you were the reason why I wasn\u2019t popular. I thought that you were the reason why the cool kids didn’t like me. I know now that kids are just mean and it had nothing to do with you.<\/p>\n

You were perfect in all of your imperfections.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry I was abusive to you. I used to hit you when I was angry. I used to claw you when I felt out of control. I even cut you one time with a serrated kitchen knife when I was in an argument. You remember. You remind me every time I look at my left arm, just below the wrist. I\u2019m so sorry that I took out my anger on you.<\/p>\n

I didn\u2019t know where else to channel those feelings back then, so you got the brunt of it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry that I wished parts of you were different for so many years. I want you to know that I\u2019m done wishing you were different. I accept and appreciate you for exactly how you are.<\/p>\n

Every wrinkle. Every vein. Every bit of extra skin. Every line. Every curve. Every scar. Every feature. Every pore.<\/p>\n

You are perfect just as you are and I’m filled with gratitude for every inch of you. Thank you.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m so very sorry that I didn\u2019t care what I put in you for so many years. I knew that alcohol and cigarettes and processed food<\/a> weren\u2019t good for you, but at the time, I took you for granted and I didn\u2019t care enough about you to stop.<\/p>\n

And that breaks my heart and brings tears to my eyes because you, my beautiful, miraculous, kind, strong body, deserved so much better. I remember talking to you a lot when I was drunk and asking for your patience while I rode out my alcohol addiction.<\/a><\/p>\n

Thank you for listening.<\/p>\n

Thank you for waiting patiently while I abused you for so many years.<\/p>\n

Thank you for embracing me and being there for me when I was finally ready to let go of my demons.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what I want you to know going forward, dear body of mine.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve finally woken up.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019m here.<\/em><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve got you.<\/em><\/p>\n

The walls have crumbled and I feel the love, the respect, the gratitude and the admiration for you that’s been deep within all along. And that love, respect and gratitude has not only helped me find to peace and compassion with you, my dear body, it’s also helped me to find forgiveness for how I used to treat you.<\/p>\n

I forgive myself and I want you to know that I’m no longer angry or disappointed with myself. I\u2019ve accepted it and I\u2019ve let it go. It\u2019s been released. We can be together as one.<\/p>\n

You and I are in this together until the end. You\u2019re it for me for this life. You will contain my spirit until it’s ready to fly. And you are the most important relationship that I will ever have.<\/p>\n

So going forward, here are my vows to you. You deserve them more than anyone else in the whole world.<\/p>\n

I promise to love you exactly the way you are.<\/p>\n

I promise to treat you kindly and with the utmost respect and compassion.<\/p>\n

I promise to give you rest when you need it.<\/p>\n

I promise to keep you active and strong.<\/p>\n

I promise to never take you for granted.<\/p>\n

I promise to feed you the best fuel so that you can keep doing your job brilliantly and with ease.<\/p>\n

I promise to give you good sleep every night.<\/p>\n

I promise to be loving and accepting of you as we go through the aging process together, just like you\u2019ve been loving and accepting of me during the first 36 years of my life.<\/p>\n

I promise to love you unconditionally.<\/p>\n

I promise to keep you safe.<\/p>\n

And finally, I promise to continue helping other people love and care for their body<\/a> as much as I love and care for you.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Today\u2019s recipe is perfect as a snack or as a side with any meal.<\/p>\n

It’ll make your body very happy.<\/p>\n

Do you have a habit of talking harshly to yourself? Talk to me about it in the comments below!<\/p>\n

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Steamed Greens with Garlicky Lemon Sauce (Instant Pot & Stove Top)<\/h2>\n\t\t
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