Food is the Celebration of Life

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.” ~Melody Beattie

Last month we salute the turkey roasters, potato mashers, green bean snippers, and pumpkin pie makers. Cooks nurture us and are the providers of good things. I am grateful for my grandmother's labor of love, who cooked on a wood stove, turning simple meals into feasts and Holidays into celebrations. I am thankful for my mom, who taught me how to throw together a meal for any size crowd and make everyone who came to the table feel welcomed. I thank my aunties, who showed me that food and family are intertwined and that preparing meals together creates camaraderie and community. I am grateful for my parents, who, as restaurant owners, served hundreds of people at holiday brunches, turning strangers into friends and easing the burdens of Holidays. I also have fond memories of spending time in the kitchen with my sons, teaching them the art of cooking without measuring or the right ingredients.

The rhythms and rituals I learned in the kitchen are a big part of who I am. Food provides comfort, inspiration, meaning, and beauty and is a way to celebrate life. This Thanksgiving, I hold the memories of food and family close to my heart.