Nourishing Hearts

What is it about food?

Why is it so central to our gatherings?

Besides the obvious-having to eat for survival, why is it so important?

Is it the food or the people with whom we're sharing?

I think it is a little of both.

Sitting down to a meal together is the time that people bond, where friendships are renewed and informative conversations are spoken. This is the time to catch up on the day's events or hear of personal victories or defeats. It seems that life is sweeter (no pun intended) when we share a meal together. We enjoy the taste of scrumptious food and are thankful to the laborious hands that prepared it.

It is also a time of vulnerability. It is a selfless act, this giving from one's pantry and hoping that someone will enjoy the outcome of your mixing and baking, stirring and cooking.

Will they like it? What if they don't? Is it too salty? Spicy? Is it done in the middle?

These are the questions that go through my mind.

But I don't think that should be a worry. People you gather with love you. And the food, even at its best, comes second to the crowd who's enjoying it.. or not.

I remember growing up in the Pacific NW, summers brought us evenings where my mother would spread newspaper on the table and we, with our mallets and forks, would crack the crab fresh from Astoria, Oregon. It was so tasty. But the memories of us kids proudly displaying a big, whole piece that we carefully removed from the shell, lasted much longer than the buttery taste.

There was a restaurant that we'd go to when I was in high school. It was an all night restaurant. After the movies or after just being out, my friends and I would go and order steak fries with tarter sauce, hot chocolate and nachos. Not the best meal in the world, I know, although their fries were really good. We would sit, eat and laugh hysterically for hours. It never failed, we saw other friends there and suddenly we had a huge group. It was comfortable, it was fun. We were young.

Nope, definitely not the food there!

When I lived in South Carolina, my friend Lara would come over to pick up her boys and I'd have fresh, hot-from-the-oven banana bread ready. We'd sit and chat and keep cutting pieces from the loaf, losing all track of time. It was the best recipe I ever had. My neighbor and friend in Utah, Kirsten, gave it to me. She would bring over a loaf and we'd do the same. I loved that.

I remember there was a family in my town that had problems. Who doesn't? But really, this was serious. My mom, seeing their situation only in passing, stopped by their house and asked if the kids could come and play. She loaded them all up in the car, 5 of them I think, and brought them home to us. We rode the school bus with these kids. My mom grilled hamburgers, set out potato salad, chips, cookies, and fruit. They ate like they had never had a meal. They had food at home but they were not allowed to eat. A terrible situation. My mom stuffed them until they couldn't eat another bite and then they played -all day into the evening, building forts with hay bales, climbing trees, riding horses and coming back to the picnic table for another chip.

She cried after she dropped them back at their home when the kids said to her, "We'll never forget this as long as we live." They were not allowed to come back to us. Later we heard that the state took them away from their house and to another foster home. We prayed it was better this time.

Food is comforting. But it is also comforting to know that when it is served to you from friends or family it is done out of love. Food heals hearts and minds. It lets you forget the day for a moment. It makes you happy, so simply happy.

And when it is something that is so delicious, and you bite in to it, your eyes widen with delight. It begs you to ask for its recipe so you can continue the cycle of nourishing hearts and minds.

I think that's what food really does...

I'd like to hear your thoughts on the subject!