Food: The way to my Heart!

StartFragment

In pretty much every culture, food is the universal language of love. There is something that is so comforting about food, it makes the worst of situations a little better and brings people together. The amount of care and time one puts into preparing a dish really shows the sentiments towards those who will be receiving this gift. When I cook for my own family, I pour my heart and soul into it. I want the best for them and one of the things on the top of my list is nourishment for their bodies. It fills my heart with joy when they ask for seconds. It gives me a sense fulfillment that my love in this form is well received! So many holidays are centered around food, such as Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Eid, just to name a few.

On Valentine’s Day traditionally there are chocolates involved and generally a meal with your romantic love. Many find this a time when they can create a fancy dish for their significant other, one that involves a great deal. Others choose to go out to a special restaurant and have an elaborate meal. The fact of the matter is that once again food is used to express romantic love on a romantic day. On Thanksgiving, people cook turkeys and mash potatoes among many other side dishes and then sit with their loved ones to enjoy a meal and be thankful for all they have. The function of food is just more than nourishment, it is used as a means to form connections with those around you and the catalyst is food.

One of my fondest memories of love in the form of food was when I was a college student living in the university apartments. Whenever I would call to tell my parents I was coming home, my mom would start cooking some of my favorite dishes and freeze them. The day I was actually coming home, she would make a dish of my desire. Anything I wished for would be ready for all of us to enjoy by the time I came home. I never thought much of it at the time, but as I took some time recently to reflect, I realized how much this meant. My mom was telling me how much she missed me and worried for me while I was off on my own. She wanted to make sure I ate enough and focused more on studying rather than figuring out what to eat. Many who were further away from home, got what are called care packages. While I was in school, I had no idea what the hell that meant! My friends and roommates were getting boxes of stuff from their parents and loved ones to make their stay away from home more comfortable. In my recollection, the packages included food more often than not. There was always something special I witnessed whenever my friends received care packages from back home. There was a sparkle in their eyes… food was definitely a way to their hearts. If that doesn’t scream love, then I do not know what does!

When a person passes away, the immediate family is going through so many emotions and do not even remember that they need to eat and sleep. Anyone close to the family who comes to pay their condolences will bring food for the family. Sometimes the family ends up with so much food, they have no idea what to do with it. All that others can do is be there for the family who has lost their loved one. Food sustains life and when someone passes away, bringing food to the family in mourning is a way of saying keep up your strength. When my great uncle passed away in 2002, my mother took time off from work and made a dish everyday for my great aunt and the rest of the family. This was not the first time I had lost someone in my life, but this was the first time I was old enough to remember. We were there almost everyday for about a month and there was always loads of food. Somehow sitting together and eating with loved ones made things easier to cope with...for me anyway.

I recently came across a video of someone making loads of sandwiches and packing water to go to pass out to the homeless. The person involved was homeless at one point also. His way of showing the love to those going through what he had gone through showed in his actions. Majority of the people who received this precious token of love were so grateful. A year and a half ago I helped out at a community center and assisted in feeding the homeless. I cannot even explain the joy in some of their faces. I felt it a great honor, when some of them said to me, “God bless you.” These people are stuck in a hard place, not all by choice, and I saw how much just this one meal meant to them. Whenever I see a panhandler on the side of the freeway and if I have food on me, I make sure to share some with him or her. The gift of giving makes my heart more joyful, especially when I know it is truly helping someone by giving them something to eat.

Love is communicated universally through food. We want our loved ones to have the nourishment, strength and live a long life by eating properly and in a timely manner. In some cultures food is a symbol of hospitality. Celebrations are centered around food and it is one language we can all understand, regardless of culture or walk of life. When my mother saved food for me and froze it to take back to my University, she did not have to say she loved me. I understood her love through her cooking. Her “care” packages said it for her. I am a 37 year old woman with my own two children now, and she still sends me back home with dishes she has made when I leave her house. I will always love her for that! Next time someone makes you a dish, simple or special, think about the sentiments that are behind it and appreciate it for that, even if it tastes bad!

EndFragment