the most important ingredient...

 Put a little love in those lunch boxes...

...Packing lunches is just another chore on the list of never-ending chores, not necessarily one of the most liked chores either.  So rarely do we get positve feedback for the lunches we pack...At the end of the day, when you are tired, and you open that lunch box and there it is: half a sandwich still left, an apple somebody "didn't have time" to eat, and the wrapper from the granola bar...The whines of "why did you pack me that?  You know I hate that !"  Or "Why can't you just pack me licorice and jelly beans and a bunch of oreos, like so-and-so's Mum does?"
Why?  That answer is easy.  Because we are parents.  And when these small humans were placed in our care, we swore that we would give this parenting the best of everything that we have in us, that we would raise this little person to be the best big person we could.  And a big part of making sure that they grow into big people, is providing them with good nutrition, the best nutrition we can.  And for those hours in the day when they are away from us, that is the one connection we have with them, the lunch box.  So, we labour over our decisions...lots of fibre, plenty of protein, dairy for strong bones, more veggies!  Eat more veggies!  And fruit for Vitamin C, especially right now, with all those germs around.  No pop or candy, not good for those little teeth!  We want to make sure they can keep their teeth until they are 90!  However, just like everything else in our world, we only have so much control over things.  And sometimes you can do all the right things, say all the right things, make all the right things, and have them eat all the right things, and still life throws you a curve ball.  Something that no amount of carrot sticks and sprouted grain bread can fix.
...So make sure you are putting in that one special ingredient...Make sure there is love in there too...And not the kind that the grown ups understand, but the kind that your child gets...A little heart shaped piece of paper that says, "There are chocolate chip cookies for us to share when you get home!" or "I chose this apple just for you"...Or throw in an oreo or a hershey's kiss  (Kate'll tell you, "just stick it in your pocket and eat it outside!")...Remind them that you are thinking of them even when they are away from you, that your love for them is never far away.

This blog was written in memory of a wonderful little girl, a little girl I never had the chance to meet.  I am sure that her Mum often wishes she could have packed her many many more lunches, filled with oreos and carrot sticks and lovely froggy pictures to share with her friends.


Keep an eye on those lunch boxes, Cassidy!  Help us make sure they are filled with love!

Cassidy Leigh Briggs, who left this world too soon on January 11th, 2010, after a brave battle with liver cancer.
 Cassidy's family has set up a foundation to raise funds to provide art supplies for children to allow them to continue to foster their creativity and express themselves creatively while they battle cancer.  Please check out the website below for more information:
Cassidy Briggs foundation