-Thich Nat Hahn
"What would happen if we were to start thinking about food as less of a thing and more of a relationship? In nature, that is of course precisely what eating has always been: relationships among species in systems we call food chains, or food webs, that reach all the way down to the soil."
-Michael Pollan
Food. Is it wrong to experience food as something spiritual? Is it weird to teach my children that there is a relationship, as Pollan calls it, between what we put in our bodies and how we feel about them? Don't get me wrong. I am unequivocally NOT a health nut. I eat ice cream almost every day, and I love a scone or a giant cookie with a steaming cup of green chai at about 4 o'clock. And I never feel guilty about those pleasures. Food is pleasurable.
But I also believe that attending to your health by being mindful of what you put in your body (or don't) and what you do with it (or don't) is a powerful expression of gratitude (or carelessness, or selfishness), especially to our Creator, and for that matter, to our loved ones. This concept does, of course, naturally extend to encompass how we understand our own value and what we do with that understanding. If we know ourselves to be the precious, priceless individuals we truly are, we act accordingly.
As I continue to learn about the intricate connections among the relationships in nature, of which we are a powerful part, I am coming to the conclusion that I want my children to understand where their food comes from and how it gets to our table. If we are to raise good stewards of the Earth, it seems pretty clear that our generation has a lot to learn about food and how it comes to be. We have begun in our home by staying as local as we possibly can. I am less concerned with organic farming and more concerned with locality, versatility, and sustainability. And though I never want to see an animal suffer in life, I am absolutely not opposed to harvesting animals for meat. We are omnivores, after all.
But for now, I am left to consider the food culture in our family. Our lives speed along at break-neck speed, making that 30-minute meal even more valuable. I think that many families and parents of my generation are beginning to grapple with the rat race (we all have to work to stay in the black!) that keeps us from focusing our energy on either maintaining or developing a healthy food culture in our homes. Actually, I think most of us feel that "something" is missing from our family cultures - we're not sure what that is just yet. At our house my husband and I are in a food culture transition. A few months ago we watched Food, Inc., a documentary about commercial meat production and its ramifications. It was horrifying. I discussed it a bit on my other blog, The Breezeway and on Chicago Moms Blog. After some discussion, we joined a CSA (community supported agriculture) that provides us with meat every other month. We try to shop the farmers' market in our town, and we have all but decided to join another CSA for fruits and vegetables next spring.
That is what we are doing. Putting our money where our mouths are running, because yes, it is more expensive and time-consuming to eat this way. But I don't consider that the real challenge. The real challenge will take our lifetimes to master: developing and defining our family's food culture so that it reflects our values - and not necessarily just those that focus on food. Because life seems to be, after all, a dynamic relationship between our bodies, our souls, our homes, and our planet.
