FOOD IS LOVE by Mandy Gefle BScN, LHNP, RN
Ihelpcouldn’t the smile that
spread across my face as I looked over and saw my youngest son had climbed up the stool and sat on the kitchen counter across from me. He was having a matter-of-fact conversation with me and my husband. Just days over the age of five, his biggest concern was what might have happened to his Spiderman mask. We hadn’t been able to locate it for a few days.
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Food is Love
“Mom, can you help me find my wred Spiderman maks? It’s not in bwrother’s wroom, it’s not in the wandry wroom, and it’s not in the wriving wroom. Dad, where’s my Spiderman maks?”
He looked so cute sitting there, totally exasperated, his little lisp coming through with certain words. He could not figure out how our level of concern, at this point, could be so low! It was during the evening rush. I was making supper, my husband was finishing up his work day, and my oldest son had accidentally let in two cats and our giant dog when he opened the door to feed them. The kitchen was buzzing as the usual chaos unfolded.
I had to admire his focus, and persistence. I paused for a moment to appreciate how he looked. Sitting up there so casually in his Spiderman costume, the stern and annoyed look on his chubby little face. He was not taking no for an answer this time, we were finding that mask!
It’s moments like these that come rushing to my mind when people ask me, “Why food?” These are the moments that connect families and generations. As I turned and saw him sitting there, I had memories flood in of the busy kitchens I had occupied in the past. Grandma’s house during Christmas… One aunt stirring gravy while another mashed potatoes, mom setting out dishes, weaving through children as they sprint through the kitchen on their way to go play!
