It’s hard to strike a work-life balance – even after the nest empties and the chickadees fly from the perch.
What I’ve learned is not every day has to be exquisitely, or even moderately, balanced. For me, an out-of-whack routine only becomes problematic when it is extended beyond reasonable lengths.
A question of balance also applies to the subjects I choose to write about in my weekly Friday newsletter. I strive consciously for variety – some columns are humorous – some columns are more contemplative – some columns are meant to humorous and turn out less so. Some columns are not meant to be humorous – but are interpreted that way anyway! My point, I plan. I write. And my loyal cadre of readers take from them what they may.
I have noticed, however, over the last couple of months that I have written more frequently about my past eating disorder. This is partly due to National Eating Disorder Awareness Week -which was February 22-28 – and partially due to certain opportunities in the professional eating disorder network that I have been afforded.
Recently I made a guest appearance on a podcast called Processing which explores the intersection of food and grief and is co-hosted by Zahra Tangorra and her mother, Bobbie Comforto.
It’s all about sharing personal stories and how food factors into our journey. As the show’s description notes, “Change and loss are inevitable in all our lives. The relationships that we as humans have surrounding food and loss are universal and relatable across different cultures, beliefs, and lifestyles. It is our individual adaptation to the things we cannot control that makes us unique. Processing will expose and digest these commonalities and differences in each episode.”
Zahra, who lives in Brooklyn, is a chef, writer and podcaster. She owned a Cobble Hill restaurant named Brucie, which was renowned for its lasagna and warm, familial atmosphere. Her mother, Bobbie Comforto, who lives on Long Island, is a psychotherapist specializing in bereavement and trauma. In her early years, she was a chef and owner of a specialty food and catering company.
Below is the link and verbiage on my recent appearance on Processing:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/processing/id1494829164?i=1000514401046
I hope you enjoy it.
Keep Preserving Your Bloom,
and Happy Easter,
Iris Ruth Pastor