"Life is a Series of New Beginnings"

I don't make New Year's Resolutions anymore - they're too hard to keep.

But this year I did make a secret promise to myself: I decided to empty my freezer and pantry - to use up all the food - and begin afresh, once it's all cleared out.

I've made some headway. You probably wouldn't know it as my cupboards are still jam-packed with food. As I look at them I wonder...

How many kinds of hot chocolate or honey do we really need?


So I'm clearing it out, using it up... day by day.

Sometimes I wonder how we got into this situation. This food stockpiling habit didn't occur overnight.

It began at a different stage of life when we needed food for five bag lunches a day - as well as ingredients for quick suppers for five at night. Having a lot on hand seemed a good idea then. A necessity, in fact. At that time I was following some helpful advice: Buy 2 of everything to avoid running out at a critical time.

Bulk buying was great - for that stage of life. But old habits die hard.

Our needs are different now: there are no bag lunches, and meals are smaller. I've come to a new beginning. It has just taken me a while to realize it.

So, after many years of accumulating, I'm doing a cupboard cleanse! And it does feel good!

Life is a series of new beginnings - but sometimes it takes a while to figure it out.