A Bare Sandwich

To my son Tommy,

The other day I made a sandwich. As I started to make it, I looked for whole wheat bread. A quick search yielded only white bread. I settled and popped two pieces in the toaster. I sliced some of the roast your mother made the other night, grabbed a single piece of hard salami, put some chipotle-Dijon-mayo concoction on my toast and started piling on my meats. I went to the refrig again looking for greens and tomatoes to make this sandwich more healthy and again came up empty in my search. The snack was quite tasty but deep inside I felt guilty for not achieving some level of increased health in my food. Food should be your first line of medicine in life and this definitely was lacking.

The metaphor of the sandwich struck a cord in my life and in what I observe in others life. We all forget to add the extras that really help our lives. We avoid the healthy additives of life. Either our "cupboards" are lacking the essentials or it is too much of a hassle to add extras or sometimes we just want "the good stuff" and view the "veggies" of life as detracting from the "meat".

So make sure you don't avoid the "good for you" stuff as you enjoy the good stuff in life. A little extra added to a sandwich can add nutrients to your diet and health to your life. A little extra added to your daily routine can add meaning and spice to your life. It doesn't detract and often enhances your experience.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo