Saying thank you...

There are many people who have influenced me in my lifetime, but oddly the one who really changed my course happens to be an actress famous for the 1970's sitcom, Taxi.

I read  Marilu Henner's Total Health Makeover in 2001 and it completely adjusted my trajectory.  She invited me to question "normal."

After all, I grew up in Texas.  Normal meals for us were beef, potatoes, a canned vegetable and fruit cocktail in syrup. (My sister and I used to fight over the cherry.)  Breakfasts were usually a a sugar cereal and milk, and lunches were a baloney and cheese sandwich complete with chips and a fried pie.  The idea that I didn't need beef or milk and that fresh fruits and vegetables should be the staple of my diet was a completely new concept.

Little did I know that the ideas she introduced me to would eventually lead to a vegan lifestyle, yoga, minimalism and the other holistic practices that now so shape my life.

I recently ran across an article Marilu wrote in the Chicago Sun Times on changing normal and it occurred to me how much I wanted to say "thank you" to her.

Sometimes the simplicity of a person sharing their journey can completely change the journey of others. I'm so grateful she wrote about hers and changed mine.