Olive

My husband Andy has a wonderful saying when people ask us about our journey towards a green lifestyle in Chicago. He says ” We are olive. Not quite green but getting there.” It feels like there is so much to learn and frankly, so much to unlearn that it can be overwhelming. It isn’t about where I am in the process, but that I am in the process of making changes both big and small. I find my biggest lessons come from the messages I share with my kids. “Focus on the effort you give something not the end result” I suggest to them. And therein lies our journey.

Looking back, our lifestyle was extremely indulgent, materialistic and wasteful. I guess that gives us a lot of room for improvement! An epiphany opened my eyes earlier this year when my son had surgery. As you can imagine, I thought about so many things while I waited and then watched him drift in and out of sleep as he recovered. Would Chaz be in pain? Was the surgery successful? I could feel the grip of reality encircle me and the little inconsequential things just seem to slip away. Have you ever had that feeling where you just wanted one more shot and you would do things differently? (I guess that is why It’s A Wonderful Life is so popular, right?)

Soon afterward, life became very simple for the first time. Andy and I made some significant changes enabling me to be home with our two sons while I started an eco friendly business. I have never felt more free. Once I let go of the “stuff” – the attachments to things and directed my focus to people I became a new empowered person. Along with my newfound freedom, a flood of creativity swept over me. Now I invent, I write, I paint, I laugh, I sketch, I learn, I connect.

Grounded and fulfilled for the first time in my life, I started a group for families just like us. As the founder of Chicago Green Families, I host play dates that focus on reusing recycling bin scraps and flower pigments for art projects, organic gardening and rethinking how we approach our everyday lives. Each Saturday morning our families meet at the Green City Market to buy our groceries, meats and produce from the stands of local farms and organic businesses. Such a wonderful opportunity to connect over crepes and smoothies while the kids play and we watch award winning chefs create delicious organic meals.

Just this week I watched Chaz as he carefully navigated his little wheelbarrow down the aisle where the corn we planted ourselves was sprouting. Meanwhile Jack and Zoey ran down the aisles of herbs to tell us how good the sugar snap peas are & asked for permission to bring some home for our dinner. Their smiles contained everything my prior lifestyle lacked- a connection to the earth, to health, to our community and to each other. It isn’t always perfect and isn’t always green but it is the journey I am on and for that I am blessed.

Original 5 Minutes for Going Green Post. You can read more from Jennifer at her blog The EcoChic Organizer and subscribe to her blog at www.functionandspace.blogpsot.com.