Come and Get it!

Remember the metallic clanging of the old farmhouse triangle with Ma yelling to the family and farmhands "Come and get it!"? [Or was that an advertisement?]
Well, to me it symbolizes the beckoning of loved ones to the dinner table...a gathering place where one is not only invited, but expected. A place where one has a sense of belonging, being loved and nurtured as well as listened to and educated.

With families being pulled at in so many directions, both parents (if there are two) working and barely getting home in time to throw something either on the table or at family members as they grab the car keys and shoot out the door to the next activity, we are losing our hold on this tradition of gathering for a family meal. So much more than food, that is of priceless value, goes with this loss that I felt prompted to start this blog as my effort to recover or rekindle the tradition. I hope to make my posts encouraging, realistic, informational and hopefully motivational.

The food channels have certainly gone a long way to inspire people to cook and lately, there have been lots of pieces on comfort foods. I think this direction has been taken because in our hectic lives, we all have the yearning for comfort, nurture, to be missed by someone if we are not there. We want to have someone interested in listening to our thoughts to be concerned about us and our aspirations, to help us process our day. Who doesn't want to feel the love expressed by someone(s) who've taken the time to plan, shop for and prepare a a meal for us and nurture us?! And, come to think of it, what single person or empty nest couple doesn't deserve to take the time for themselves to prepare a thoughtful, nutritional meal that they can savor and enjoy?

It seems that other nations and cultures may be keeping their hold on family mealtime traditions, but North Americans are so wrapped up in hurried lifestyles that we are loosening our grip on this valuable tool to strengthen family bonds and feed our souls with more than food for the body. Planning and preparing mealtimes can anchor lives and uplift our hearts and minds. It's a satiety that society can't provide.