Emotional Lunch
Have you ever cried over food? I bet if you have an allergy, a hard-to-manage intolerance, or a disease that limits what you can eat and when, you have. In the past, pure frustration or seething anger over the difficulties of choosing what to eat, where to get it from, and when I could eat it have all been things that have caused tears for me. Monday, though, I cried over my lunch- except this time it was in absolute joy.
Food is not something that simply 'fills the hole', and it shouldn't be. Food should nourish the mind, body, and spirit. There should be a visceral connection between you and what you choose to put into your body, and this connection comes from acknowledging the cycle of life and death that must occur for humans -us- to continue a circle of our own. We build this connection by purchasing produce in season from our very own local farmers, and learning to preserve it on our own so we can be self-sufficient. We also build this connection by either abstaining from eating meat or committing to buying our meat from local farmers who treat animals with respect, and we must always express gratitude for the plants and creatures that we kill in order to properly nourish ourselves.
Connecting to our food and its sources is not an easy task; it is hard work that requires commitment, focus, and attention. On Monday afternoon I sat in a restaurant where all the food- yes, ALL the food was either purchased locally or made from scratch with loving, caring hands. It is so rare an opportunity to enjoy a meal prepared this way that I was beside myself with happiness.
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