Does it ever seem like everything is complicated?
Even food — and the very basic act of eating — can be so heavily scrutinized…Do you eat too much? Are you eating the wrong foods? Have you tried the latest nutritional craze? Should anyone eat meat? Is your food ecologically sustainable? Did your meal come from responsible sources? Is it organic? Is sodium really that bad? What about fats? Are the people who pick and pack your food paid fairly? While you snarf Cheetos, what are you doing for those who have neither bread nor clean water?
Some of these questions are legitimate concerns, things that bear thinking about as we all strive to be our best selves and (hopefully) to improve the lives of those not as fortunate as we are.
But…it can be enough to be thankful. (aka: Not every meal warrants a philosophical debate.)
I just ate the remnants of last night’s supper. As I spooned up the simple elements of broth, meat, and vegetables, I was filled with a profound sense of gratitude.
The bounty of the earth — whether from a commercial greenhouse or your own garden — is amazing. Sunlight becomes food. Food becomes our ability to keep doing our whatever-it-is thing that we do, keeping the soul and the physical self knitted together.
There are a lot of entities involved in that process (for good or ill), and today I am thankful for all of those, from the plants themselves to the grocers to the inventors of artificial refrigeration, whose toil enables me to enjoy a bowl of meat and vegetables. I’ll take a moment to be grateful, here in the midst of a busy day.
And gratitude has wings whose stirred currents resonate in a thousand ways unseen.
melstery.com 