I read this somewhere on the internet last week and experienced acknowledgment deep down in my soul:
“A life too easy or escapable quickly becomes meaningless.”
At the request of my cousin Jennie and friend ‘Sister Mary Catherine’, I committed to making Great Aunt Man’s homemade oatmeal bread. From start to finish, in an old – slightly rusty – hand cranked bread ‘machine’ the whole process takes about 4 hours. A quantity of time and patience that is hard to come by in our fast paced world.
I was rewarded by not taking the easy way out. Over the 4 hours my mind began to settle. I tuned into the peace of making something by hand. My body and hands felt purposeful while they cranked the bread machine and kneaded the dough. The fresh baked bread smell permeating the kitchen enveloped me in a sense of safety.
I’m going to endeavor to invest in the meandering road more often…to doing the things that require effort…and stretch me out of the comfort zone of ease and convenience.
3 comments:
What an interesting story. I could smell the bread..... (Oh God do I love bread. I could live on bread and wine alone..lol!) Seriously cooking is a great passion of the Latino world as well so I identify with your story completely. A life too easy does become meaningless. That's great that you will travel the 'less traveled' road Tania. As you said, it's about the JOURNEY, and how accurate that is. May you have a wonderful less traveled journey!
Rosa
I'm sure you can relate to the cooking passion. I spoke with another friend of mine who is Italian and we laughed at ourselves...we cannot make a meal for one and we cannot understand why everyone does not get that when we cook for them it means we love them...lol. Cheers to both of us enjoying and being present to the journey. Whatever is right in front of us is what needs our attention.
That is so true! Make a meal for one? What is that??? I can relate completely. Whenever I have cooked for my friends they wonder why so much food??? "It's just me" but hey I came from a houshold where you would roll out from the dinner table. Now, whenever I go to my parents for dinner, my mother serves me a portion as if I haven't eaten for a week (maybe two) and then still asks, "you want more "cause there is more you know". She also gives me a doggie bag to take home 'just in case'. (Just in case what - a disaster hits and I can't make it to the supermarket for a week? I swear the doggie bag weighs about 5pounds!)It's no wonder I suffered with my weight all my life. Yet I believe if you don't enjoy the pleasure of eating than you're not experiencing life fully. Yes cheers for enjoying life to the fullest! :P
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