During this week at the beach, my family and I are renting a house with out-of-state family members. Living in close quarters with anyone (even your immediate family) can be an adjustment. But when you haven’t seen people in a few months the transition can be a little more awkward, at least for me.
Our families live different lifestyles. My family is the type to typically eat healthy, exercise and do a variety of activities. It’s not weird for us to wake up early and head out for a run or to eat a homemade, nutritious dinner. It’s just what we do and have done for as long as I can remember. But hearing people comment about our lifestyle is not something I’m used to. The comments are not necessarily mean at all, but they point out things that I don’t even think twice about.
For example, my mom who has such a balanced, healthy relationship with food was nagged on for not finishing a slice of pizza. I heard someone say, “C’mon finish the pizza. You only had a salad, can’t you just eat it?” She just shrugged and said, “Yeah, but I’m good for now, thanks.” Then when my dad and I woke up and ran yesterday morning we were accused of being “too healthy” and “good” on vacation.
It’s not like we’re vegan, triathletes or kale-obsessed people by any means! (Not that anything is wrong with that :) ) Although I’m definitely the pickiest person in the house, I would consider our pantry and refrigerator pretty normal. A typical meal involves a vegetable or fruit, a protein and starch. We (especially my mom and I) love being active, so going for random walks or taking time out of our day for yoga is common.
But this week I’ve been starting to question my lifestyle. Are we doing something wrong? Are they doing something wrong? Which one of us is right?
Source
Obviously neither of us is “right,” we just chose to live differently. I KNOW the comments were not intended to be mean, but it got me thinking about how other people view my life. I know I shouldn’t care what other people think, but it’s not always easy to avoid the comparison trap. Just like people who are vegan or paleo often get bombarded with “whys?,” I felt like I was being attacked for my lifestyle and preferences.
I believe in the saying “you do your thing and I’ll do mine,” so this week I’m trying to remind myself of that.
To each his own, right?
We really are the same person. My family is the exact same way- we eat a very balanced diet and we all exercise daily. Luckily my extended family is also relatively active so it’s not as weird but my mom and I definitely get comments like you did from time to time and it’s awkward. Keep being you!