Pause

In modern life stopping for meals is not an absolute necessity. But, while chewing and sipping on the go are pretty much normal, I like the idea and practice of pausing for sustenance. A meal is an opportunity to let go of other tasks and responsibilities and tend to our simplest or deepest needs. We can fuel our bodies with carrots, strawberries, cheddar cheese, roast chicken, tortilla chips, mashed potatoes, or chocolate mousse and nourish our spirits with the connections and conversations that come from sharing food with others.

I enjoy the days when I can leave my work and spend time making dinner. Sometimes it is an involved process other times it is uninspired or thrown together. Still, I value early evening in the kitchen and while I listen to the news I strive for a pause from to-do lists and a chance to connect with my home, myself, and the food I am preparing.

It is easy for me to romanticize cooking and eating for myself and my husband. Our dinner table rarely looks like anything magazine, pinterest, or even blog worthy. Ray and I both have busy schedules so eating dinner together is less a ritual and more a hope that we will have one or two nights each week to meet at the wooden table in the corner of the kitchen.  Before we sit down I set out plates, napkins, forks, glasses.  It usually takes a few increasingly louder Dinner’s Readys before he appears in the kitchen. We catch up on the happenings of the day and try to have meaningful conversation. Even though it isn’t perfectly idyllic, I still treasure the evenings when I can cook dinner for us to share.

Not every pause from our busy routines must center around food, but I like that preparing and eating a meal is a way to let go of everything else. A time when I can try to be thankful for what we have and come closer to being in the moment. 

How do you pause?