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Lisa Joy's avatar

I identify with your delight in food. My happiest memories almost always include food, and whenever I'm asked to list things I'm grateful for at any particular moment, a recent meal is always on the list. My husband and I keep a running list of meals that were true experiences, thus indelibly shaping us. One of my favorites was at a WWII bunker-turned restaurant on a tiny side street in Klaipèda, Lithuania, a port town that was at that moment in the middle of its annual Sea Festival. While we ate lamb dumplings and cherry dumplings with a refresher of horseradish-infused vodka, the cool Baltic Sea breezes wafted over our sun-soaked sidewalk bench. Then, to our surprise, a parade started up from somewhere else in the city and marched by, trumpets blaring and balloons and flags flying. A friend who was with us that day remarked that it was a moment to make one "happy in the deep places." We still use that phrase when we're feeling the joy from food, good company, and pleasant surroundings.

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Heidi Chupp's avatar

As someone with an autoimmune disease and who has made a substantial diet change as a result, it was a wonderful experience for me to read of how food is being treated with such intention and gratitude (and dare I say even reverence?). Because I have to think about what I eat, I am a lot more aware of "thoughtless" eating than I was before.

Also, your words about love taking on different forms stopped me in my tracks. You were writing in the context of food, but it hit me that this is also a way to approach relationships. I needed that just now; thank you Jeff!

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