This week of thanks is simple: food. I love me some food, I think everyone does. But the thanks isn't the actual food, even though I am of course grateful to it, it's more of what food represents.
With Thanksgiving Day just having passed, I realized how much that day epitomizes what food is to me: one table, shared food, and love surrounding it with friends and family.
Growing up, we always centered our family life around the table. It seems rare for families to do that, but for my family it was critical. My dad would sometimes work late and would miss dinner, but for the most part, our family of five was always seated around the table to talk about our days. Food brought us together.
Nowadays, it's still the same. My brothers and I all flew from the nest, but my parents still sit down each night to have dinner with each other. When we get together, my parents insist on us eating at the table. Even my nephews have their spot at the table, rarely are they allowed to eat on a snack tray. After all, they are for "snacks" and not a meal!
To me, a table of flood is a table of plenty. Plenty of memories, plenty of laughs, plenty of tastes. It's the heart of a home. I find myself more inclined to share a meal with someone than to go see a movie. Isn't there something nice about sharing food together? Isn't it more intimate? Over food, you can share your deepest thoughts, your more lighthearted jokes, and unload the stresses of the day. And it is enjoying a nice steak, a healthy salad, a tasty dessert that makes everything that much better.
So thank you food, for not just being a delicious staple to every day life, but for being a common ground and a safe place for my family and friends and providing the nutrients needed for the body and soul.
