I am very lucky

for many reasons of course, but what was really brought to mind today was how lucky I am to be surrounded by and blessed with friends who are like-minded when it comes to some pretty fundamental things.

My food journey for one. We didn't always used to eat this way and I was not always a religious label reader. I didn't always insist on whole, real foods. There used to be convenience foods in our cupboards and fridge. I bought bread and crackers and thought that because they said 'organic' on the label, they were fine . I ate refined white sugar. I didn't care about GMOs. I knew corn syrup was bad but I didn't know it was in everything. I hadn't researched soy, I ate veggie burgers.

I would say that within the past 6 months there has been a pretty fundamental change in how we eat and what we buy. The changes were brought on by conversations with friends and family, articles read and a deep gut feeling of how we are supposed to nourish our bodies. My friends (and family) have been nothing but supportive and encouraging. Asking questions, giving advice, teaching, offering help and hints. I can't imagine how difficult this would be if any one part of the equation was mocking, hurtful or unsupportive. It might make me more defiant, but it would also undoubtedly make me feel weird and like I had to hide how we eat or that I couldn't talk openly about it.

When you're finding a new path, it's so, so helpful to have someone to talk to about it. To bounce ideas off of, to give you kefir grains (hi Felicity!), to share ideas back and forth. We need this so much in our daily lives. Without support, it's awfully hard to forge ahead sometimes. So basically this post is a huge thank you to all the amazing and remarkable women and men in my life who have taught me so much and who continue to encourage, challenge and teach me on a daily basis. Thank you.