Deciding what is right is hard!

I feel torn in so many different directions. 

I feel like I know what is right for my family, that we want to eat more natural, stay away from chain restaurants, avoid processed foods, eat as organically as possible.  The Hubs and I have had many discussions on this topic and feel like we're heading in the right direction.

But it's so easy to be lead to believe that maybe all we're doing isn't necessary.  That processed foods and chain restaurants aren't actually the devil.  That organic isn't worth the cost.  It's hard to stand by what you believe to be true, when there are many sources telling you the opposite.

The only thing that comes to mind to equate it to, is religion.  You go to Church every week to re-affirm your faith.  I get that now.  You need to have a touchstone to shore up your beliefs, there are many outside sources going against what you believe to be right and true.

I will flat out tell you that I am not a religious person by nature.  I haven't gone to Church on a regular basis since I was forced to as a child.  I have never taken my daughter to church.  We believe in being good people, and doing the right thing.  We believe in God, yet not in orgainzed religion.  Killing is a sin, a chocolate sundae is not.

But I get it now, going to Church shores up your beliefs that are constantly being knocked down by the world around you.

Watching my food documenteries does the same for me.  Reading books by the likes of Michael Pollan does the same for me.  I need to reinforce my beliefs every so often.  The outside world tries to knock me, telling me that these foods aren't so bad, that I'm trying to be "perfect" by making foods from scratch or eating only organic. 

I'm not trying to be someone's idea of "perfect".  I am simply so horrified by what is going on with our foods, that I am willing go to great lengths to find and make better choices for our family.  I do this knowing that most people think I'm crazy and going to extremes. I don't feel that I am going to extremes, especially now that I see so many companies making changes.  For example, when we were looking for hamburgers buns this summer, we had to go out of our way to find ones that didn't have HFCS.  And  now they seem to be everywhere.  I see more and more organic products in our commissary (military grocery store), more than I see in conventional stores. 

Seeing changes like that helps me to know that we are on the right track.  That others do agree with our beliefs.  That there is hope.  Changes are being made.  That maybe one day I won't be thought of as going to extremes and trying to be "perfect" in some way. 

That there will be a new normal.