The other day, I was enjoying one of the podcasts that I listen to when the speakers brought up a point that I felt completely connected with. While they were recording, they were snacking on some Lunchables, and the topic of elementary school lunch came up. One podcaster recalled that when she was younger, her mom didn't ever pack her Lunchables or other packaged convenience items, so she always felt super uncool around her friends at school. I could totally relate because I felt that way most days growing up.

My mom packed my lunch every single day from when I started kindergarten until the day I graduated high school. Once a week we were allowed to purchase a hot meal from the cafeteria, but every other day she was up early making sandwiches, cutting up fruit, and heating soup for our thermoses. On each of those days, I felt like a loser pulling out my cup of milk, ham-cheese-and-pickle sandwich, and reused butter container (plastic bags are expensive!) full of pretzels. Surrounded by friends drinking Coke, snacking on pizza rolls and digging into Kid Cuisine, I was embarrassed I'd been given such a "lame" lunch.

It's only now that I've been on my own for a few years and have had to make my own food choices that I realize just how wonderful it really was that she took the time to prepare lunches for us. For one thing, the fact that she woke up before we left for school (especially during those Zero Hour years) is incredible in and of itself. She worked during our elementary school years, but throughout middle and high school she got up at the booty crack of dawn every day to get our food ready. I give her major props for that, simply because I know I would struggle to get up that early every school day if I wasn't actually going to school.

Second of all, I appreciate the fact that she did it, Every. Single. Day. Since I've lived in an apartment for the last couple of years and haven't had the endless budget for on-campus dining, I've had to pack my lunch several times, and it was a lot harder than I anticipated! Coming up with different combinations of food to enjoy is difficult, because I have a limited grocery budget but at the same time do not want to eat a PB&J five times a week! I also have to make sure I am giving myself a good amount of food so I'm not hungry again an hour after eating, and I need to have a good balance of healthy eats and sweet treats as well. All in all, it is often a challenge finding interesting and nutritious things to pack for my lunch!

Speaking of healthy options, perhaps the best thing my mom could have done for me feeds me good-for-me food. She made sure that we were getting in all of our food pyramid necessities, which I'm now realizing is extremely important. If I had been drinking pop everyday or eating prepackaged or processed food five times a week, my body would not be working nearly as well as it does now. While indulging sometimes is a great thing, if I had indulged at lunch every day as well as eaten snacks and desserts at home, I would've been sluggish and tired, unable to complete school work or participate in after-school extracurriculars. In hindsight, I am really glad that she forced us to bring sippy cups of milk and hand-sliced fruit and veggies every day.

So even though back then I felt like the weirdo with the childish lunch, I am extremely glad now that my mom was looking out for my health and well-being. Thank you, Mama, for waking up to prepare my food, thank you for giving me a variety of balanced meals that seemed boring but were actually really good for me, and thank you for making me the uncool kid who now understands just how much you love and care about me.