Chanukah.
Latkas.
Lacy crispy confections of shredded potatoes and onions.
Hot off the griddle.
Just the right amount of oily, crispy, and then mushy inside.
Jews traditionally eat latkas on Chanukah, which started Saturday night, and will end this Sunday.
On Saturday night we had a big Chanukah party.
I mixed a triple batch of latkas, and we started frying as the first guest arrived.
While I was greeting everyone and helping them get comfy
the first batch of guests finished all the latkas!
Late arrivals, and me, never got to have any.
So, I’ve been feeling the need to make latkas all week.
To make up for not having them at the party.
Not because I’m craving latkas.
It hasn’t been convenient as we haven’t really been home much, and only 3 people in my family like them, one of whom hasn’t been home any nights this week.
I don’t really want to go to all that trouble of peeling, shredding, mixing and frying to just eat one or two
and leave the rest to get cold and unappetizing.
And truly, I don’t even feel like latkas this week – too much party food on the weekend.
My body is begging for green smoothies.
But
I keep thinking that Chanukah is almost over
and I haven’t gotten to really enjoy my delicious latkas.
This weekend we’ll be going out, and I will get to eat other people’s latkas
but
I really love mine the best.
And Chanukah ends in four days.
And doesn’t come back for a whole year.
The pressure to make some latkas!
Until.
I stepped outside of my mind
hovered above myself and observed my thoughts.
Then.
I had a totally original (for me) thought:
I can make latkas any day I want.
Forever.
This totally changed my entire being, I swear.
If I can have latkas any day I want
(and there’s no rule that I can’t, except for the rule that I make up)
(and I’m a big girl who makes the latkas and who decides what I do with my time)
Then there is no need to worry now about when, how, and why I should make and eat them now.
When I don’t even want them.
If you aren’t Jewish, this may sound silly to you.
Of course you can make any food whenever you want.
But there may be a food that you traditionally eat in association with a ritual, celebration, or holiday.
Remember the last time you encountered that food.
Think about whether you may have eaten more than your body could assimilate just because it was a special food that you wouldn’t get tomorrow?
What if you let yourself decide that you could get it tomorrow if you really wanted to.
Would that change your eating at the time?
How simple is that?
For me, the urge for latkas disappeared instantaneously.
I could feel it leaving my body.
That’s all it takes.
Giving yourself permission to think of things in a novel way.
Is there an antiquated rule that’s feeling like it doesn’t serve you anymore?
Can you step outside of yourself and explore another way of looking at it?
That’s what I do with my clients.
And I’d love to help you do it too.
I have six spaces left for individual coaching starting mid January.
Email me to reserve your spot.