The Sustenance of Meal Times

Most of the time I choose chaos in life. I tend to work too much, commit myself to more than my share of community activities, seek deeper connections in my spiritual community, strive to be more informed about the city in which I live, as well as, creating time for building and maintaining meaningful relationships in my life. The chaos creates a sense of belonging for me, and I embrace it.

When I am living abroad the chaos of life is unnecessary for belonging. Belonging at home involves responsibility. Here my only true responsibility is to myself. I indulge in the simple joys of life often pushed aside -- naps in the afternoon, three home-cooked meals a day enjoyed in the company of others, reading for pleasure for hours at a time, and lingering in cafes. The calendar on my wall serves as decoration rather than a tool for organizing my life. My cell phone sits at my sister´s house in Illinois and my watch has yet to make it to my wrist. And somehow I am more at peace and more content in my relationships with those around me.

I think the secret in all of this is those three meals a day I eat with my host family. There is something very fulfilling about starting every morning and ending every day sitting at a table with the same people, sharing a cup of tea, some food and conversation. Eating sustains us physically. Our relationships with each other sustain us spiritually and emotionally. I am not expected to eat at home, but I choose to do so because in doing so I find myself.