“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.” — Howard Thurman

Fifty-three weeks of daily meals together starts now. Why? The idea for this blog has been a long time germinating. Three factors within a short time span, though, made me actually get online and put idea to technology:

1. A conversation with my 12-year-old son’s rock climbing coach: Love him, but he is wreaking havoc on my sweet family’s life. For those of you blissfully ignorant, youth indoor rock climbing is a year-round sport. It is crack to my son, Noah. What started out as an after-school one-day-a-week interest has now become a five-day, 20-hour (if you including driving) commitment. But he’s continental champion in speed climbing and it might be an Olympic sport. So what’s a parent to do? Anyway, so Crazy Coach decides to practice from 3:30-7 pm three nights a week. He considers making it 4-7:30 when I call deal breaker. “Why?” he asks in surprise. Dinner.

2. The year anniversary of my first trip to Africa: I went to Rwanda with four others from church in September 2008. Since that trip, I crave Africa — like you crave the smell of your newborn baby’s head or ice water when it’s 102 outside and you’re in an asphalt parking lot with a dead battery. But I have a husband, two kids, two dogs, two guinea pigs, a lizard, and a bank account that’s seen better days. This will, for the moment, ease the craving.

3. The recession tanked my already gurgling-for-air profession: I’ve known I wanted to be a journalist since I was in high school. Worked for newspapers, magazines, and have been freelancing since 1995. Loved it. Am lost without it. I know it’s not really gone … but it’s definitely in transition. So I decided I should be as well and here I am.

Dinner — and great haunted house! — at the Garcias

These events — perfectly timed with creative coaching sessions with my friend Jill Bryan and the movie Julie & Julia — translated into feeding my family, feeding Africa, and feeding my soul with this blog project. This, for now, makes me come alive (see quote above if you’ve already forgotten).

Day one turns out easy. Our boys are getting together with two other boys to create a post-Halloween haunted house. We’re headed to the friends’ house for some skeletons and salsa. Day one meal together: Check. Just 370 left to enjoy.