Hunger

Hunger is often considered a negative thing.

It indicates a lack. 

A lack of something vitally important. 

Maybe even a severe lack.

Hunger is so often associated with poverty and injustice.

Because in many cases hunger really is a terrible thing, we correctly desire to eradicate it.

While writing the piece about waiting for hunger, I did a search for pictures for the word “hunger” and was inundated by powerful images of the face of world hunger. Looking at those sad and horrific scenes moves me to compassion and a desire to wipe out hunger and poverty. It is a dreadful thing, so we are right to want to remove it from the world.

…

But... an interesting thing can happen. 

Because real, desperate hunger is such a negative thing, I guess it kind of makes sense that we would try to avoid hunger in our own lives. As Americans, we have done a pretty good job of it. We don’t like to be hungry. It feels like deprivation. We do whatever we can to make sure that we don’t go hungry.

Consequently we rarely if ever even experience real hunger. Or if we do begin to feel hunger pangs, we rush to eat something so we won’t feel hungry.

But what if hunger is not always a bad thing? 

What if I didn’t think of it as unpleasant? 

I have much to learn about hunger and satiety and appetite. I’ve only taken baby steps so far. But I have learned to notice the sensation of hunger and to realize that it is not necessarily a bad thing.

Instead, in my case, it can actually be a reminder of my blessings. I DO have access to food. Enough food to quiet the rumblings of my stomach, and also enough food to keep me alive and healthy. That is not something that I want to take for granted. 

…

It has been awhile since I let myself experience the discomfort of feeling hungry. But I remember and have decided it's time. For a few days now, I have remembered to wait for hunger. I am actually glad to be back here. I am reminding myself of the positive aspects of the sensation.

In fact, sometimes I just want to celebrate that growling - because it means that my body finally has a chance to burn up some of those hundreds of calories that I’ve crammed into it over the past couple days. What a novel idea!

I guess it can be a gift that I choose to give myself. A much better gift to my body than overloading it with so much more than it needs and can handle.

And besides... 

Food tastes so much better

when I am actually hungry!!!