Lifes journey is not to arrive safely at the grave in a well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting ‘holy **** …what a ride’
I’m not sure who coined this and I apologize for not giving credit where credit is due, but, man, I love this saying. I love it because it speaks to a life I want to live; it screams of living loudly, fully, passionately and openly. It means leaving no stone unturned, nothing undone, and nothing on the table. I love it because it’s honestly the root of our universal human desire to make a mark on this life and to live a life well loved.
As much as I love it, though, it also gives me tremendous FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) anxiety. Because my life doesn’t look at all like this right now. I look at social media and this ugly feeling of envy wells up within in my soul. I look at images of fabulous vacations, amazing nights out and glamorous parties and feel somehow less then. Because if I’m going to be very honest about where I am in life right now, my day to day, I don’t check any of the worlds boxes of a life lived loudly, fully, passionately and openly. No, if I had to rewrite this phrase for my life it would sound like this:
“A days journey in the life of a parent is not to settle into slumber at the end of the night safely and with sanity in full-check, but rather to skid in sideways at 8:30pm with a thud and a whimper, totally worn out shouting “oh my gosh, I thought this day would never end.”
Yup. That’s more like it.
Because where I am right now isn’t really about ME. Where I am right now is all about parenting these three little souls that were given to me for just a short period of time. And this momming thing, it creates its own definition of a life lived loudly and fully and passionately and openly. It might not be glamorous, but you can’t deny that it’s LIFE.
Because our household, like yours I’m sure, is all of these things. It’s loud. It’s full. It’s passionate and it’s open. Kids, they have all of these things down. They don’t come out tame and mature; they come out open to life and curious about its possibilities. They are free from the burden of knowing what society expects or what the world says is cool or uncool. They are just themselves. And, at least in my house, that makes parenting a crazy mix of emotions, thoughts, laughter and tears.
It makes parenting humbling:
“Mom, weren’t you, like, 15 in 1985?”
“Don’t worry, Mom, even if your hair is ugly I still love you.”
It makes parenting funny:
“No, son, I don’t believe that ‘dab on ‘dem haters’ is an appropriate ending to our morning prayer. Let’s just stick with ‘amen.'”
It makes it confusing:
“Mom, if the Germans were so terrible in World War 2, why did we rebuild the country?”
“Mom, has America ever gone to a morally wrong war just to gain land?”
It makes it awkward:
“Hey son, let’s talk about how babies are made. I’m sure you have a few questions.”
And, most of all, it makes it LOVE:
“Mommy, I love you more than 1 billion times 1 billion.”
These conversations, they’ve all happened in our household within the past few days, people. This is what parenting is like. It’s such a loud, full, passionate and open life that there is often no room left for all of the other stuff, the “cool” things that the world tells you you need to do in order to live a full life. It’s a wild ride in itself. It’s fun. It’s challenging. It’s life changing and growing at breakneck speed. It’s a life lived in love, and one that I thank God that I get live every single night in the two seconds between when my head hits the pillow and when I’m sound asleep. Because, yeah, it’s exhausting too.
Why on earth would I ever have FOMO when this is the life I live right now?
So, friends, no matter where you are in life right now, whether you’re a parent of old or young, whether you’re not yet there or maybe never want to be. It’s ok. Live your own version of loud, full, passionate and open. Don’t let the world tell you what you need to have or do in order to feel spent at the end of your day, or even your life. It’s highly personal, this life. It really is between you and God. He’s got a plan for you, and it won’t always look like you expect it to. But I can guarantee you, if you let Him lead you it will be more beautiful and more passionate and more FULL than you could ever imagine.
And, in honor of a life lived fully, I’m sharing a very full, very flavorful, very passionate recipe with you today. I have this little love affair with Costco, this is no secret. Every time I go I not only end up spending a small fortune on bulk Goldfish crackers and Mac and Cheese, but I also end up picking up some Cilantro Lime Shrimp from their ready-made-meals section. I love the idea of this shrimp, I mean, what’s not to love about the combo? But I have to admit that I am always a little bit disappointed. The shrimp is always a textural nightmare, and there is always less flavor than I want. Expectations versus reality, not so great.
So I set out to create my own version. A more flavorful, alive and vibrant take on the original. I wanted the shrimp to be crisper, nothing is less appealing then rubbery crustaceans. The key to this is to completely dry them before cooking; I’m talking bone dry people. Then, when the pan is searing hot put them down and don’t touch them until there is a crust on one side. I know how tempting it is to move them around. DON’T. I promise it’s worth it. Make sure with the sauce that you have all the ingredients prepped and at your side, it’s a quick cooker so you won’t have time to grate the lime and squeeze it while the garlic cooks. Have all of your “mis en place” (look it up) and be ready to go. And as always, adjust it to your liking, tasting as you go. You may want more or less garlic, that’s ok. If heat is your thing, make your pinch of red pepper a full one. Remember to season with salt and pepper at each turn. Cooking is an art, YOUR art, so taste, adjust, taste some more. You’ll get it there!
Peace, love, and passion,
Meg
Cilantro Lime Shrimp
Ingredients
- 4 teaspoons olive oil, divided
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- salt and pepper
- 2-3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
- pinch of crushed red pepper
- zest and juice of one medium lime
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro
Directions
- Step 1 pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels and generously season with salt and pepper.
- Step 2 Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a skillet over medium high heat.
- Step 3 Once hot (throw a drop or two of water on it. If it sizzles, it’s ready), put the shrimp in the pan in one layer, season with more salt and pepper and DO NOT TOUCH.
- Step 4 Let them sizzle on one side for 1-2 minutes, forming a great crust. Then stir for 2-3 minute longer until completely pink.
- Step 5 Remove from pan and keep warm.
- Step 6 Add the remaining oil to the same pan and once shimmering, add garlic and crushed red pepper and cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Step 7 Add lime zest, lime juice and honey, stirring to combine.
- Step 8 Cook 1 or 2 minutes, stirring often, until combined.
- Step 9 Add shrimp back into the pan, stirring to coat completely.
- Step 10 Add in cilantro and stir to make sure it’s even.
- Step 11 Taste, seasoning with more salt and pepper if needed.
- Step 12 Great in tacos, over rice or alone!
Welcome to BurntToast! My name is Meaghan, and this is my safe space, a place where we can share stories, share recipes and share life. It’s my dream that you can come here, kick your shoes off and pour yourself a glass of wine while you read, laugh, and maybe even hop into the kitchen. This is my heart, for all of you to see. And ALL are welcome here.