I’ve had the summer off from 10 months of intense treatments that included: two major surgeries, 4 cycles of chemotherapy, and 6 weeks of radiation. It’s been surreal to live life like a healthy person and just enjoy each day for what it brings forward.

I want to get back to writing and I am inspired with this returning post, dedicating it to my 23 year old son, Brendan who has recently taken a risk to head to the far North of British Columbia by himself in search of making money to fuel his dreams of travel and writing. He took a chance and went for it leaving one job for the unknown. I admire his willingness to listen to his ‘gut’ and make choices in spite of what others might think.

He’s taking time off of studying Economics after 3 years at Concordia University in Montreal. It was hard for me to let his decision be different than my wishes, however, in the end it’s not my life to live. As a parent, regardless of your child’s age, who makes the final decision? There was a choice-point where he asked me regarding whether to stay in school or take a break, “is this my decision or yours?”

It was so obvious to me that it was certainly not my decision. I wasn’t the one going through the day to day work of University, he was. He needs the passion for studying and the desire to stick through the tough times that University will bring. At this point, it seemed easy for him to make his decision when he felt free of whatever expectations he thought I had of him.

Later, he thanked me for this space to be him, this freedom to live his life. He told me about a heartfelt moment with one of his good friends at Concordia, who on his last night confessed his jealousy in teary distraught about Brendan’s decision to take a ‘breather’ from school, something that was ultimately not foreseeable option due to strict Indian parents offering no choice but to attend University against his will. In turn this lack of regard and trust for their son led him to feel trapped and unhappy being a root cause of his onset depression, unbeknownst to his family. The fact that Brendan had the ability to alter the structure of his University timeline with parental support seemed so far fetched from his reality that it hurt... your support can mean at times, quite literally, the world for your children.

I believe as a parent we are here to give our children the best guidance we can gleaned from years of personal experience. Often, we think we know ‘best’ and that we can help shortcut some of the bumps along the way. Maybe we can. However, people need to learn about life through their own experiences, not through their parents. When an individual asserts their will to choose a path or direction they feel deeply connected to, I want to honour that. That’s how I can continue to offer support.

I didn’t know I was going down this road as I started this post, it was meant to be a short note about helping Brendan make a yummy, quick, no fuss, healthy breakfast! When he told me he got a job and had to wake up at 5:00 am, my first thoughts were: what are you making for breakfast that early in the morning and what about lunch? You need to make sure you have enough food! A mother never stops thinking about feeding her kids!

He told me, ‘don’t worry mum, I bought some oatmeal, but oh damn I have to cook it and then wash the pot…..hmmmm….bit of a hassle.’ I immediately thought of my new breakfast discovery. Make the night before, put it in the fridge and it’s ready to eat when you wake up.

Here’s the recipe ↘

Brendan’s Effortless

Bircher Meusli

Find the size jar you want to make your breakfast portion in. I like WECK glass jars because they have an easy closing lid that doesn’t leak. The size in the pictures is Rundrand Glas 80. (It holds 1Cup of liquid) I will give the portions approximately for this size. Adjust to your stomachs needs!

( 1/4Cup yogurt. If you want it less sweet then use natural, otherwise pick your favorite flavour)

( 1 tablespoon chia seeds. If you can’t get chia seeds, try ground flax seed)

( 1/4Cup milk, your choice of cow, almond, oat, rice, or coconut )

( 1/4Cup granola or quick cooking oat)

( 1 mashed banana )

( Optional: chopped almonds, walnuts, or sunflower seeds. Fresh chopped fruit – apple, pear, grapes, whatever is in season and you like. If you want extra sweetner add maple syrup, honey, or coconut sugar. )

Before you go to bed assemble your breakfast. Layer in the ingredients. Yogurt on the bottom, then chia seeds or nuts, mashed banana, granola or oats on top. Pour the milk overtop all of it. Add a dash of cinnamon and your optional nuts or fruit.

Put the lid on and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning simply stir and add extra milk or yogurt if it’s too dry.

This is great for on the road and also can wait for you if you’re not hungry right away.

Enjoy!

This recipe is inspired from The Oh She Glows Cookbook by Angela Liddon. If you want her recipe go to: Effortless Vegan Overnight Oats.