Good morning everyone! I hope you’ve been enjoying your weekend and that you have something nice planned with friends and family this Memorial Day.
More than just an extra day off that launches the summer season, today is the day we honor those who served our country and never made it home. It’s in memory of every man and woman who went to battle to protect our freedoms around the world but sadly, never returned to enjoy those freedoms again. Today we honor their selfless service.
I read an interesting article in this month’s Vanity Fair that spoke about one of the strange paradoxes of war, which is that often, some troops choose to return to combat after their tour is over. Those that don’t often develop Post Traumatic Stress and the reasons for both are interesting.
Sebastian Junger, a brilliant writer and war correspondent, writes:
“Any discussion of PTSD and it’s associated sense of alienation in society must address the fact that many soldiers find themselves missing the war once it is over…. Awkward as it is to say, part of the trauma of war is having to give it up. There are ancient human behaviors in war – loyalty, inter-reliance, cooperation – that typify good soldiering and can’t be easily found in modern society. This can produce a kind of nostalgia for hard times….”
Essentially, the isolation of modern life makes these soldiers yearn for the camaraderie and cooperation that emerges from living in extreme situations. It’s not the pain they miss, but the sense of community that war engenders.
Our modern world, with everything one touch away, has certainly made it easier to get information and the things we need, but it has done little to bring us together. Instead, it’s turning us into islands, lost in our own worlds. If you consider how technology is advancing, able to engage us by noticing our individual patterns of behavior and preferences in order to deliver customized information, then you can see how that may, over time, make us more and more cut off. And at the end of the day, we all need people. Studies show over and over that those who live in a cohesive community and feel that they are surrounded by people who love them and are there for them, tend to be healthier and live longer.
So on this Memorial Day, I encourage you to reinforce your ties to your community by hanging out with the people you love. While you’re barbequing or hanging out at the beach, remember those who sacrificed their lives so that we may enjoy this day in freedom. And if you know someone in the Armed Forces, give thanks no matter what your view of war is. Better yet, spend some time with them. The time you give them may go a long way towards their healing.
Enjoy your day! And have a great week~
xo
B
Here is a great alternative to traditional coleslaw that is loaded in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals and is absolutely delicious! Have it on it’s own or as a side dish at your barbeque, I promise you won’t be disappointed. Enjoy!
Raw Asian Slaw
Ingredients for slaw:
- 2 broccoli stalks, peeled and julienned
- 2 cups purple cabbage, sliced thin
- 1 carrot, julienned
- ¼ cup red onion, sliced thin
- 2 scallions, finely sliced
- ¼ cup cilantro, minced
- ¼ cup chopped raw almonds
Ingredients for dressing:
- 1 jalapeno, de-seeded and coarsely chopped
- 1 clove garlic
- 1-inch ginger, peeled
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
Directions
- Assemble all vegetables in a bowl and combine well.
- Place all dressing ingredients in a blender or food processer and blend until smooth.
- Toss vegetables with dressing until well combined. Place in container and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to an hour and then serve.
- Garnish with chopped almonds and cilantro.
- It is AWESOME!