As I mentioned yesterday, Sarah and I went out to lunch a couple of times this week. When we were choosing where to eat, Sarah said she really wanted a hamburger. "Is that okay?" she asked tentatively. I enthusiastically told her it was fine, if she wanted a hamburger she should have one. "Will it make you feel bad?" she asked. Feel bad? "Because if I was trying not to eat meat, I would feel bad if someone ate a giant hamburger in front me."
I appreciated her sensitivity and praised her for her thoughtfulness, but I did feel bad. Not because I wanted the hamburger (which she ordered and thoroughly enjoyed) but because I made my daughter feel guilty about food. My relationship with food is not good or healthy and that is the last thing I want to pass on to my daughter. Cutting meat from my diet is an effort to improve that relationship, not make it more difficult and certainly not make it more difficult for Sarah. Food should be fun and life-sustaining, not painful and guilt-ridden. Am I making things worse or better?
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