There are some days realizations hit you harder than others. I had one this week as I watched my daughter start high school. In all reality I can’t believe that I am old enough to have a daughter in high school. I couldn’t possibly be that old! Honest truth- I do (have a high schooler) and I am (old enough)!
The transition of going from her parent to her confidant was quicker than I could have ever imagined. Wasn’t I just telling the family that we were pregnant? Or that she was five, then ten, then thirteen? I vividly recall bandaging up scrapes, putting on crowns, reading her stories, dressing her up like her favorite princess, holding her hand, wiping her tears, kissing her cheeks, holding her on my hip. And now watching her run out of the car to meet her friends as she fends off boys glances and begins to saturate her brain with excessive amounts of knowledge.
If I am lucky I have four more years of making her breakfast, lunch and dinner, recording her smile, cherishing her stories and giving her guidance and then she’ll fly away to college and life will abruptly change again. I just can’t go there right now. I must live in the now or I’ll end up in a heap of tears on the floor and that can’t be my reality today. Today is about remembering the sunshine moments and smiling at how far I’ve come in my parenting journey. Kids change you – they reveal the cracks in your every day armor. They inspire you, frustrate you, bring you tremendous joy and sometimes fear. Their smiles make your heart explode with joy and their tears reduce you to rubble. Children are these precious little orbs of experiences that you’ll do anything for; even in a horribly sleep deprived state of mind. More than anyone, they believe in you and are programmed to bring out your every emotion …and sometimes all at once! Words don’t do the experience justice – which is how I feel about this next crazy recipe – Grapefruit Smoothie.
This bitter sweet treat has the freshness of summer, a tang of citrus and a slightly tart puckering effect. It is a blender treat that takes only minutes to pull together. While some may hold tightly to the perception that ‘maybe grapefruits aren’t made to smoothie’ I would strongly debate that is exactly why this recipe needed to happen.
Grapefruit Smoothie
Ingredients
1 ruby red grapefruit, skin removed
¼ of an avocado, skin removed
6 medium strawberries (approx. ½ cup), stems removed
1 cup frozen raspberries
1 carrot
1 TBS honey
1 tsp vanilla
Directions
Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until well combined. Consistency will be thick and can be thinned out with water.