perspective perspective
Generosity Sit down and eat up learning, being and doing
Sharing a meal together brings some calm in the storm
A F
young man pandemic, approachedcivil meunrest in a parking ires, drought, and lot yesterday. election politics combine to put us off our and I are staying over game, “My a littlefamily bit. Nothing seems normal there and if we could get five dollars we could or easy right now. We are all a little, or a lot, out getbalance a pizza.with If we could get disrupted ten we could get of uncertainty, routines, two and that would cover us.” cash-flow challenges and on and on. I had no idea whether was true. So where might we findhis anstory anchor? He looked as though he was living rough, Something that is comfortable and familiar? I’d though—gaunt, sunken cheeks, despairing eyes. say look no farther than your dining room table. Without hesitation, I pulled out my wallet Something as ordinary and necessary as our and handed himsuddenly ten bucks. I don’t know just why it. He wasn’t daily meals can seem like that safe port inIadid storm. threatening. over imploring. He just seemed to reallyand need a For manyHe of wasn’t us, COVID-19 has changed our daily routines boost right then and interacting with him right there a couple of feet maybe opened up opportunities to spend more time together. This may, away, I just felt it was a moment. at times, vary between feeling like a blessing or a curse, but it could open It’s not on a mission to give alltogether of our money. I walkIt the door for that us toI’m purposefully sit down to away dinner every night. and drive by plenty of people who are asking for a little push. And I’m seems that this might be especially settling for everyone in the household not driven to help others by a sense of guilt or even a feeling of being in these squishy off-balanced times. Just sitting down and asking each lucky how enough and what theseexciting others don’t and so therefore it’s my other the to dayhave wentit and or challenging things came up social obligation to do it. Nor do I get a big sense of satisfaction. I have helps us all feel more connected, which is nice when things can seem to a hard time on pinpointing why I feel compelled to help out sometimes, be spinning the edge of control. whether scooping a sidewalk a neighbor push a car, Getting most or all of thefor family involvedorinstopping planningtoand preparing and other times not so much. meals, a couple times a week anyway, can take that connection to the next fall, neighbor of to ours comesusbyalive, withbut hisalso air to compressor level.Every Food is so abasic, not just keeping our identity and blows out our sprinkler lines. He makes the rounds our the and ties to our family and culture. We can take a minute toin enjoy corner of the neighborhood and gets everyone ready for winter. Hethe aroma of bread (or better, cookies!) that we mixed up together filling doesn’t ask for anything. He just does it because he can. It is not a house. And then we get to eat them! transactional offer in any way. Food is more than just calories that we need to keep our bodies and Theresa Baer writes month in herAs Learn and Live minds running. Food is, inthis a way, medicine. the cliché goes,column we are what about teaching children to be generous and to volunteer. She also offers we eat. By viewing food as nourishment, we might start to make choices, some ideas about where and how. The idea is to help children to be starting with planning and shopping, that make us feel better and healthier. aware of needs and to understand they, have Plenty of others’ nutrition information is out there,that so I’m notthemselves, going to suggest something to offer. Scott’s 3 Steps to Healthier Eating beyond saying that it seems the closer is for them, really allthe of us, to healthful not just do food The is togoal it’s original, natural form, more it isgenerosity for you. as an activity that we have come to understand as something that And there’s no place like a farm stand or a farmers marketwe toshould get that do because we’re lucky enough to have something and those other kind of fresh, straight-off-the-vine fare. In our Bounty Special Section people are struggling. Where headed this for how our this month, we highlight somewe’re local really farmers and letwith them tellisyou children to see people who are just like they are, who just want to be they’re adapting to the new rules, what they have to offer you, and how happy just as they do and who don’t want to feel bad just as they don’t shopping locally supports the economy right here where we live. We have wantgathered to. We want beyond the them usStands feelings. don’t And just also a list to of get Farmers Markets and and Farm in We the area. drop money can Virtual and walk by. WeMarket, stop. We talk you and can engage with finally, check in outa the Farmers where support people who are just like local farmers, artisans andus. other small businesses. In the end, we want to be generosity, not just do generosity, though Bon appetite, the path Scottto being generosity, it seems, lies through the path of doing generosity. ‘Tis the season, Scott
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| RMPARENT | RMPARENT
OCTOBER 2019 • Volume 24, Issue 6 SEPTEMBER 2020 • Volume 25, Issue 4 PUBLISHER Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 PUBLISHER scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com Scott Titterington, (970)221-9210 EDITOR scott.rmpublishing@gmail.com Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 EDITOR kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com Kristin Titterington, (970)221-9210 CREATIVE DIRECTOR kristin.rmpublishing@gmail.com Emily Zaynard CREATIVE DIRECTOR emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com Emily Zaynard ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR emily.rmpublishing@gmail.com Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 ADVERTISING SALES DIRECTOR greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com Greg Hoffman, (970)689-6832 DISTRIBUTION MANAGER greg.rmpublishing@gmail.com ADVERTISING SALES EXECUTIVE Susan Hartig DISTRIBUTION MANAGER susan.rmpublishing@gmail.com Susan Harting susan.rmpublishing@gmail.com COVER PHOTO
Cheri Schonfeld, Courtesy of COVER PHOTO Sky’s Open Design - skysopendesign.com istockphoto.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Theresa Theresa Baer, Baer, Lea Lea Hanson, Hanson, Katie Katie Harris, Harris Lynn U.Scott Nichols Lynn U. Nichols, Titterington
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