Jane Witherspoon is a Canadian expat adventurer, yoga instructor, and passionate rambler who recently relocated from Panama to Denia, Spain.
People love food almost as much as they love each other. There is nothing that brings more happiness and joy than sharing a table with those you love. Since the beginning of time people have gathered, coming together and sharing a meal. It is the most communal and binding thing across all cultures around the world.
How many of you have a box/book full of recipes that bring back memories of childhood or family recipes passed down to each new generation bringing back a feeling of joy when you prepare them? I had an arsenal of favorites that my family grew up on and I love seeing my daughters now feeding family and friends with recipes that they love.
There are several benefits to sharing a meal:
It lets us stay connected and gives us a safe space to talk about our days, our ups and downs, our fears and anxieties or our joys and successes. When we share a meal it is a great way to maintain our relationships or gently work our way into new ones.
With the world being such a global community now, we get to share and experience food from different cultures. There are few things more inviting than trying the local cuisine when exploring a new country. Culture is a big part of food and food is a big part of many cultures. Eating traditional dishes or taking a cooking class, we can become more aware of each other’s cultural background and the food that comes with it.
Sharing meals with the people you love leads to a longer lifespan because doing so gives you a strong connection with the people in your community. While sharing a meal or cooking with someone you love may seem small in the big scheme of things, moments like these are necessary in increasing our mental well-being.
Sharing food not only nourishes our bodies but also our souls. Sometimes all we need is to share a meal to take away the troubles of life.
And so my Sole Sisters, as you ramble out into your week may you find comfort, joy, laughter and connection around the table with family, friends and new acquaintances.
Eating is so intimate. It’s very sensual.
When you invite someone to sit at your table
and you want to cook for them, you’re inviting
a person into your life – Maya Angelou
“I believe that food is one way to make people happy.
I also believe that food can unite people from all walks
of life and cultures. When we sit together and eat,
we promote better understanding and harmony.
Food brings love, peace and compassion to the table - Chef Wan
READ MORE > Jane's Mindful Musings, Rambler Cafe Blog
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