When did I become afraid of the fruit on my counter? When did I start second guessing every bottle in my medicine chest, every ingredient in my laundry detergent and the safety of the products my family uses every single day? I can't pinpoint one single "A-HA!" moment, but the changes I am making seemed to come on suddenly and are affecting me drastically.
I suppose it began with reading. Reading about the toxins in this, the pesticide in that. What trickles down into mainstream media is scary but when I did some minimal probing of my own, I realized that money, not health and well being, is the main concern amongst many of the multi-million dollar conglomerates that produce the things we need and want. Naive? Perhaps. But I honestly didn't think people would KNOWINGLY put harmful, deadly chemicals in the food we eat, or in the water we drink. And then to find out there are sinister, destructive chemicals in EVERYTHING we use from toothpaste to toilet paper, towels to furniture....how could I not make a change?
Cutting chemicals and going organic has been one giant experiment. I can't afford all the organic fruits and veggies I want, so my husband and I planted a huge garden (more on that later!) Organic meat is HARD to find and also super expensive. I feel that I've spent a small fortune on natural care products, trying to find things that work and don't smell too...hippie. I've started making many of my own cleaning products. Slowly but surely, we're crossing over. I don't know if we'll ever be completely green but I have to make an honest effort for myself and for my children.
