A few months ago, my husband and I were watching an episode of House of Cards, and these monks were making this amazing piece of art with sand. It was part of a peace keeping ritual, I think. There were four monks blowing colored sand in these intricate shapes. It was gorgeous. When they were done with the design, they wiped it clean. They put the sand in a sacred jar. The art was gone.
Just. Like. That.
I thought to myself: that is like making a meal. It is an act of love. It is art that you eat. Cooking is sacred. Food literally creates us. I spend hours in my kitchen cooking for my family. And for what? A 10 minute meal? Not to mention all the time it takes to gather the ingredients. And then poof, my creation is gone.
If I look at it like that, cooking sucks.
But its disappearance is an illusion. Your work in the kitchen lives on – in both you and your family. The food becomes you. The food you eat changes into something else. It is transformative. You can see it in your glowing skin and bright eyes and clear mind and stable energy levels. You can see it in your children and spouse. Next time you are struggling in your kitchen cooking, wondering what’s it all for…remember this.
That said, sometimes cooking feels like nothing but a big pain in the ass, and that’s ok, too. No pressure. Let the desire to cook ebb and flow in your life. It doesn’t need to be yet another source of stress.
Just know that there is a distinction between not wanting to cook and not having time to cook. If I lack time to cook, then I’m usually in trouble, meaning that I am out of balance and over committed, and I need to renegotiate my priorities. But just not wanting to cook because you are spent, well, that’s another matter.
Whatever the case, instead of entering a spiral of shame about not wanting to cook, I respect my feelings. For days when I don’t have the time, or energy, or interest in creating an intricate culinary work of art, I compromise. I lean into purchasing prepared food items and healthy convenience foods, knowing that at some point I will come back to my kitchen with JOY!
Besides, you can still eat well and nurture your body by purchasing foods that are consciously pre-prepared, and pairing them with easy vegetable sides. I’ve learned to trust this natural flow of activity and rest when I need to rest. This is your permission slip to do it too.
Cook in Peace!
Love,
Charlotte
P.S. You might see things slow down on the blog for the next couple of months while I work to finish my book. Have no fear…I’ll still be sending out my weekly newsletter, so be sure to SUBSCRIBE to keep getting all my top tips and tools for reclaiming your vitality.