Compassion is the food of the soul. Hand in hand with this idea is that certain foods are especially good for nurturing our soul. In order for this to happen effectively, all foods that are prepared and eaten should be considered compassionately.
This is deep thinking for someone who got in close to midnight after meeting with a group of grieving children. This takes place weekly at the Children’s Grieving Center in Portland. I feel privileged to be with compassionate adults who are willing to give of their time to help children. Many of the adults, myself included, have their own life events that need a compassionate approach, and so for us to put those things aside to focus on the needs of these children is to me, all the more special. When all is said and done, this volunteer opportunity is soul food for many of us.
In 2020, I am going to focus on the connection between compassion and food. I will interview eaters and producers to get a better feel of our connection to food. What makes us eat certain foods and not others? What is the food’s emotional content? We say that there are certain foods we will not eat, but when the chips are down (no pun intended), do we adhere to our admonitions? How does compassionate food labor matter?
Already I can think of compassionate feeling foods for further exploration!
Morning coffee! If you know nothing more about me, know my love for fairtrade, sustainably grown coffee. It’s technically a beverage, but so are smoothies, and they’re considered food, right? Coffee is compassion in a mug!
Nut butter! We all do that sigh after not one, but several spoonfuls!
Fresh fruits and veggies! Step away from “flavored” and step into the sensation of real fruit and veggies!
Wine, bourbon, and beer. Maine is rich in the making of all of these beverages and helps make it a foodie destination!
So stay tuned through the coming year. Keep watch of additional features on lillianlake.com. Together, let’s learn about compassion and compassionate foods for the soul!