Today began with expectations of a successful first cleanse day. Happy to say, it’s ending with the knowledge that my last 14-waking hours have been a success. This exercise in practicing self-assurance and meeting first-day goals is gratifying—especially right out of the gate.

The icing on the cake (that I never actually ate, you know, because of my cleanse—wink, wink) happened when my fourteen-year-old son, Nico, came home from tennis and confirmed he would do a modified cleanse with me.

How sweet! My 14-year-old is 6’3” with a size 14 shoe, and I think he still might not be done in the growth business. I love that he wants to join me on my January adventure. He’s watched me put myself through the paces since the age of six. He and his brothers, in their younger years, used to tease me about what must have seemed like my sudden strange avoidance of favorite foods. Now the teenage versions of these boys (my 16-year old, Ian, may drop in and out of the fun through the next few weeks, too) express interest in taking a ride on the clean train with their cleanse-obsessed mother.

But I’ve learned through the years (reading and listening to podcasts of doctors who promote cleansing as a smart, healthy, life-boost) that kids should be encouraged to eat a balanced diet and not put themselves through a full-fledged cleanse. They’re still growing. They need calories, but clean meals and the avoidance of sugar and dairy can be beneficial for anyone, of any age. With a modified approach, Nico is eager to join his whacky mom on her annual cleanse march through the first month of the year.

Proud of Nico and all of my boys!

Copyright © 2020 María Felicia Kelley