A Healthy Diet

When my mother-in-law passed away recently, the traditional and thoughtful gifts of meals and various snacks and goodies started to arrive at the house soon thereafter.   I’m not sure how this tradition started, but I’m sure its beginnings were part nurturing (“you need to keep up your strength”) and part making life a little simpler during a challenging time (“let me cook so you don’t have to”).  It truly is a blessing not to have to worry where your next meal will come from, and it’s also interesting to consider how we use food as a focal point to gather around.  The tradition and value of breaking bread together is old as can be, and is used over and over again in our society during times of great significance, joy, and heartbreak. 

At the same time, we keep hearing that our society on average is overweight to the point of obesity, which we all know is a serious problem that we must address.  I know I need to lose a few pounds and struggle to find the right mix of exercise, foods, and behaviors that will help me become more fit.

It’s quite ironic that we’re overweight, while at the same time we hear reports that we spend less time sitting around the table together for family meals.  It seems logical that if we’re running around so much that we’re too busy to stop long enough to prepare and share a traditional sit-down meal, we might be less overweight, but that doesn’t appear to be the case. 

Maybe we’re missing something.  I know some of the most enjoyable and meaningful times of my life have taken place during either the preparation of or sitting down to a “big meal.”  While Thanksgiving and many other national and religious holidays have significant meals associated with them, the smaller events that can happen from day-to-day are also opportunities for nourishing our spirits as well as our bodies. 

A conversation on an average Wednesday around the dinner table, a last minute gathering for steamers and beer with friends on a after a long week, or a Saturday afternoon spent preparing food for a dinner party all have the ability to slow things down and make special moments that fill up our emotional buckets more than our stomachs.  My mother-in-law was not a foodie per say, but she understood the value of breaking bread together; she fully enjoyed the process of planning a dinner party, spending a night out at a restaurant with a group of friends, or a simple lunch with her daughter. 

She also understood the value of leftovers; those reheated stories from the past that bring back memories and bring forward laughter.  She knew that any meal, while important, was just the centerpiece on the table.  The main course itself was left to those gathered around that table.  They were the ingredients and seasoning she used to make a delicious meal that would last longer in the hearts of those in attendance, than in their stomachs.  

She knew there is no such thing as an overweight spirit, and she knew that while food and drink should be consumed in moderation, relationships and time with family and close friends are the fruits of a healthy diet.