The Why

Why read the ingredients on your shampoo? Why recycle? Why can’t we use straws anymore? Why not buy that $4 shirt? Why shouldn’t we eat so much sugar, who cares if I eat too much of it? It’s just one straw, it’s just one shirt, it’s just a few chemicals, we’re all going to die someday anyway! 

I used to have this mentality and not give much thought to these choices and more. I still ask myself similar questions and wonder, does it really matter? The answer to that question is obvious and it stares at me in the face every single day. It often is clinging to my leg eager and ready for his morning bottle.

Does it really matter?

The answer is obvious and stares at me every single day, eager for his morning bottle.

My choices do matter because of the people who will be affected by them, one of which is my own son. It matters to him that I read the ingredients on his shampoo so he won’t be exposed to chemicals lurking in our products. It matters to him that I have healthy boundaries around sugar so that he won’t be caught in the sugar epidemic that is occurring. It matters not only to my child but to thousands of other children around the world whose parents are mistreated in clothing factories and unable to provide for their families. It matters because we have a responsibility to steward the earth and its inhabitants well, just as we are to steward our bodies well. Responsibility is work, it takes time, and it isn’t always convenient. But it matters. 

The weight of all this slowly began to press on my heart shortly after my son was born and I began to make some changes. Initially, I was motivated by fear. But eventually, that fear was banished and replaced by empowerment, excitement, and drive. And my excitement was too much for me to keep to myself. That’s why I am sharing what we are learning and hope that others will catch the fire as well. There is so much to be excited about in these opportunities for change and growth, will you walk this journey and learn with me?