I'm really in a panic at the thought of the holidays because of it's STRONG association with food. You know what I mean. Your thanksgiving table probably looks something like this:
Filled to the brim with turkey and stuffing, sweet potato casserole, green beans fixed 2 ways, pumpkin, apple, and cherry pies, rolls by the dozen, and on and on! And that's what scares me!
Because for GENERATIONS, maybe even as far back as the Garden of Eden, celebrations have been associated with food.
We have a birthday ~ cake and ice cream.
We get married~ wedding cake with nuts and mints, and maybe even a full buffet.
We are pregnant ~ baby showers with cake and cute cucumber sandwiches.
We go to a graduation ~ more cake.
Church gatherings ~ POT LUCK with 5 different macaroni and cheese dishes.
Thanksgiving ~ well, you know.
Christmas ~ ham, and all the trimmings, and don't forget Christmas cookies and candy.
Football ~ tailgating recipes to beat the band!
March Madness ~ pizza parties!
Camping ~ gotta have smores.
Even as I was growing up, the way I was shown love was through food, (which is where the blog title comes in).
Potty training ~ "If you pee-pee, you can get 3 M & M's." Or Skittles, or Smarties, or whatever other tiny candy pieces are out there.
Homework marathon ~ "If you finish all your homework, we'll go get ice cream later."
After a school competition ~ "Hey, you did such a great job, I'm taking you out for a special dinner!"
Dating ~ Is it dinner and dancing, dinner and a movie, a picnic at the park? Which ever one, it's food.
Honey's had a hard day ~ I'm going to make him his favorite pie FROM SCRATCH to show him how much I love him!
My son's coming home from college or just to visit ~ I have to fix his favorite meal!
You get the point.
And so my dilemma, which I forced my poor husband to sit up and discuss with me until 12:30 this morning, is this:
How do you change a "tradition" that has been going on for multiple generations? How can I approach the upcoming holidays without the focus being on THE FOOD?
How do I show, in new ways, my love for my family? Express that love to them with something BESIDES a pie, or cookies, or anything that would contain calories?
I do leave love notes. And these 2 guys that live here seem to really enjoy getting them, based on the fact that ones I wrote in July before leaving on my trip to Kenya are still hanging around on their mirrors and desks!
But is love only to be expressed through notes? Or is there something else I can do?
What do YOU do to show your family you love them that is not accomplished in the kitchen? I'm really, REALLY interested in your feedback.
For me, I like to show my love through activities. Even if it means doing something that I would normally never do. Just being a presents there and being with your loved ones speaks to me more than anything else. It may mean to be taken out of your comfort zone but in the end, if you just try it you may find something you will also enjoy. For me, it was car shows and working out when all i want to do is sit on the couch. But in the end, I find some enjoyment in them. Actions speak louder than words and in my mind, louder than food. :)
ReplyDeleteThis will be a struggle for me as well. I think my plan is to make food we normally eat in a more healthy manner but to also incorporate more healthy food choices. I also plan on having other things to do besides eat. :)
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