Where I grew up, we bring food. When someone is sick, or injured or has a baby or looses a loved one, we bring food. People queue up to make meals. I remember when my mother gave birth to my youngest sister at age 47 people brought so many meals my and my other teenage siblings felt a little silly (but when didn't we?). I remember when my good friend lost a family member to cancer. People brought meals for months and months, through the whole ordeal. When I have a friend who is tired or down I say, come on over for a cup of tea, a slice of banana bread, some biscuits and honey, wine and chocolate, cookies, or better yet the dough right out of the mixing bowl. It's comfort food and I think everyone needs it.
I started thinking about this the other day because at this point in my life so many of my friends and much of my family are scattered around the country. It is difficult, from this distance, to bring them food when they are unwell. I can call them and pray for them and send them funny emails or cards, but really I want to show up on their doorstep with a meal. A tangible, edible comfort. I was thinking that perhaps this instinct, practical as it may be is a little too practical, it misses the big picture. Those prayers are are really more important that the pot of soup, right? And yet it does not feel that way.
Trying to make sense of this persistent feeling, I started thinking about the life of Christ and realized that he understood this urge. How many times do we see him eating with his friends? Eating with sinners? Preparing wine for the wedding feast? Multiplying the loaves and the fishes? The last supper?? Feeding the hungry. And this food was not just a physical good. It IS a spiritual good. It is comfort food. It is soul food.Now I just need to figure out how to mail this lasagna...
No, but really, there are lots of foods you can mail. Cookies, banana bread, chocolate (it usually doesn't melt), brownies, what else???
What do you send to friends and family when they are down? Any other ideas?
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4 comments:
I like to get the premixed cookie mix in a jar with a pretty ribbon on it. You just have to add the wet ingredients and cook them and have warm fresh cookies. Plus, the layered mix in the pretty jar look really nice in the pantry, or better yet on the kitchen counter. They seem very cozy and loving to me. Although, maybe people wouldn't want to actually do any cooking right after an ordeal. hmm.
As you know, I just spent one of my snowdays sorting through old files and papers. What I forgot to tell you is that when I was going through my box of letters, I found one from you - I think it was from my freshman year of college, and you were still at home - all about baking me cookies (multiple times) to send to me! You're a sweetie.
I wish I could come over for tea - or lasagna!
Miss Rebekah just said to me this evening, (in the midst of pirouttes), "You know Baby Jack is born." "Yes, I know". I responded.
And we miss him.
Food is important. I like to make bread, because bread is something everybody needs, nearly all the time, and good bread is sometimes a work of art. Or I bring stew. Of course you can't mail either of these things, but I'm working on figuring out how to mail fudge.
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